38 Our Visit to Holy Inland in 1854, by Dr. Johnston. 



Lotus corniculatus, which forms a very considerable 

 portion of the herbage on the plateaus. The flower buds 

 are brilliantly tinted with red, and the expanded flowers are 

 pure yellow, and make beautiful tufts. In the same spots 

 the daisy grew plentifully ; and Carex arenaria found scope 

 to grow in its peculiar line manner. Car ex vulgaris perhaps 

 predominated in the herbage. The dandelion, in a neat 

 form, contributed a share. In the level where they have 

 formerly worked ironstone, and which is the largest we saw, 

 there were several patches of the creeping willow (Salix 

 fusca), which was a pleasant discovery to us. The germens 

 are " silky " only in the early stage : when mature they 

 have become quite smooth. Not far off, we found the meadow- 

 sweet sparingly. The dog-violet — not the true V.flavicornis, 

 — for this we did not notice to-day — was scattered over the 

 links ; and about the northern bounds there was a good deal 

 of hound's tongue and viper's bugloss on their margin, and 

 on the shore a great deal of the Cakile maritima. 



In all the grassy levels there are small round knolls, which 

 seem to be formed principally by Cenomyce uncialis and 

 two species of Hypnum (Hypnum squarrosum and Hypnum 

 sericeum). Tortula ruralis is another moss which covers 

 many parts of the links, in yellowish patches, pleasant to 

 the eye. The little yellow clover (Trifolium minus) scatters 

 itself in tiny circular tufts pressed close to the ground, and 

 its herbage is often of a dark purplish colour. When not in 

 flower, the plant might be passed over for a dark lichen. 



25th. The thunder and showers of the two preceding days 

 have ushered in this with a constant rain, which we do not 

 regret, and in which the vegetable world will rejoice. The 

 sentence is rather poetical ! Observe that the elder is much 

 used here for making hedges in the gardens, and even to the 

 small fields or crofts. 



A stroll to the boats was very unproductive. A number 

 of terns were flying about the landing place, screaming and 

 picking garbage from the face of the water. There are from 

 seventeen to twenty boats engaged in the white fishery, and 

 most of them engage also in the taking of crabs and lobsters. 

 Three of the boats were employed exclusively in the latter 

 work. A few small boats are used besides in subsidiary 

 work, as e.g., the conveyance of bait-gatherers to the opposite 

 shore, &c. Five small sloops were lying in the offing, also 

 connected with the fishery ; so that there is clearly a 



