Volume 9 - Electric Scotland

io8
ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY
N. translucens, Agardh., 72, 73, 86, 87, 89, 92, 97, 103, 107,
no.
N. flexilis, Z., 72, 73, 86, 87, 89, 96-99, in.
var. I), crassa, Brauu, 87-89.
var. c. nidifica, Wallm., 89.
N. opaca, Agardh., except 76, 84, 93, 94, 95, 99, 100, 101.
(To be continued.}
CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS A FLORA OF
CAITHNESS. No. III.
PLANTS OF
STROMA ISLE, PENTLAND FIRTH.
By ARTHUR BENNETT,
F.L.S.
THE island of Stroma is situated in the channel between the
north coast of Caithness and the Orkney Isles. It lies about
three miles from the coast of the mainland at Canisbay, about
four miles south of Swona, and about seven miles from South
Ronaldshay.
Its name in the Old Norse was Straumsey,
meaning "the island in the current." It is about two miles
long and one broad, and has some 340 inhabitants. On the
west and north-west coasts high
cliffs occur. There are no
trees existent. In an old topographical work on Scotland it
is said that a dispute arose as to whether Stroma belonged to
the Orkneys or to Caithness, and that it was decided in the
following quaint manner. Some venomous animals (of what
kind we are not told) lived in Stroma. Of these a certain
number were shipped at the same time to colonise Orkney
and Caithness. Those that were brought to Caithness took
kindly to the soil, as to a congenial habitat while those that
;
were sent to Orkney, from the unfavourable effects of the
climate, sickened and died. By this singular method Stroma
was adjudged to belong to Caithness.
The " Swelchie " of Stroma is a very dangerous whirlpool,
and a romantic origin is given for it in the " Grotta-songr "
from the "Younger Edda" 1
by Mr. R. B. Anderson.
For the material for this I
paper am indebted to Miss A.
M. Geldart of Norwich, who made a collection of plants during
1
"History of Caithness," pp. 16-347, 1887.