36 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



A BOTANICAL RAMBLE ROUND 

 WEYMOUTH AND IN THE CHANNEL 



ISLANDS. 



STARTING from Weymouth on a fine summer's 

 morning last July, I took the road for Portland, 

 via Wyke Regis. It was a glorious hot summer's 

 day, with just enough of the fresh sea breeze to make 

 it pleasant. Crossing the fields towards the bridge, 

 I came upon Ti-ilicitm aattiim ; after leaving the 

 mainland, just on the other side of the bridge, I found 

 EupJiorbia Portlandica, Erynghim maiitivutm, Tri- 

 folium scabnim, Sclerochloa loliacea, and Cotivolvzihis 

 soldandla. Farther on, on that wonderful bank of 

 pebbles, yclept Chesil Bank, which stretches away 

 through the water for six or seven miles to the west- 

 ward, I found the true samphire Crithmum, not growing 

 in its usual position on the dizzy cliffs, but among the 

 pebbles. Casting my eyes along the ridge, I noticed 

 large dark green patches in the distance, and on 

 going to look at them, I was rewarded by finding 

 that they consisted entirely of the rare Lathynis 

 maritimiis, then in full flower. Returning towards 

 Portland, I came across a patch of Siiciia fniticosa, 

 also Fcstiica iinighi?nis, DipJotaxis muralis, the small 

 Lepturiis filiforjnis, and Helminthia ecJiiodcs, all near 

 the railway. On Portland Island I did not stay very 

 long, but found a quantity of Centranthus ruber 

 growing in the quarries. Returning to Weymouth, I 

 found Lat/iynis nissolia and apliaca, Tn'foliiun 

 maritimiim, and I'icia bithynica on the shore to the 

 west of the bridge. Next day I set out for the chalk 

 cliffs some miles to the east of Weymouth, hoping to 

 find something worth having ; about three miles out 

 of Weymouth I found the banks perfectly blue with 

 Ecliium zndgarc. Not far from a coast-guard station, 

 about six miles on, I found a large patch of Silybum 

 Mariatiiiv!, also, close to, Jieseda liitea and luteola 

 growing together. Leaving the coast, I struck across 

 country inland, and came across Camparmla trache- 

 Hum growing in a hedge, and Haboiaria chloraittha 

 in a small copse. That night I took the boat at 11.30 

 (a most inconvenient time ; I cannot think why they 

 should start at such an unearthly hour) for Guernsey. 

 About 7.30 A.M., we steamed into the rocky harbour 

 of St. Peter Port. After breakfast I started to 

 explore the north of the island ; leaving St. Peter 

 Port, on the north road I soon came to St. Sampson, 

 the port from which the granite, quarried in the 

 island, is shipped. Numerous round towers, barracks 

 and look-out stations, are scattered round the coasts, 

 reminding one of the times when a French invasion 

 was contemplated, in fact, I noticed several marked 

 with the date of 1789, or a bit later on. I went to 

 L'Ancresse Bay and found quantities of Lagunis 

 ovattis, a common grass on the sandy bays of both 

 Guernsey and Jersey. Oxalis coniiciihita and Poly- 

 carpon tctraphyllum were not uncommon, gro\\'ing on 

 the walls, especially the latter. On the rocks at 



Paradis, I found Inula critJirnoides and Lotus hispidus, 

 but could not find the rare Cicendia pusilla, said to 

 grow there. Next day I took the south coast ; above 



Fig. 24. — Portland Spurge [Euphorbia Portlandica). 



Fig. 23. — Dodder [Cuscuia Epithymum). 



the lovely Fermain Bay, the best bathing place on 

 the island, I found AncJiusa sempoi'irens. On the 

 rocks below Jcrbourg grew Statice occidciitalis ; 



