HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



79 



S. occidentalis. The character of the majority of the 

 plants on the under cHff presented the usual features 

 of a limestone flora, like that of Plymouth and 

 Torquay ; Picris hieracioides, Hypericum mojitanuin, 



■ Scabiosa Columbaria, Salvia Verbenaca, Asperida cy- 

 nanchica and Origanitjn vulgare being characteristic 

 species. The conspicuous fruit-spike of the bee orchis 

 was also noticed on dry grassy spots. Two plants that I 

 had never observed on limestone in Devon, were here 

 sparingly present ; viz., Lacttica miiralis and a fine 

 specimen of L. virosa. But the cryptogams afforded 

 by far the largest number of novelties. Roccclla phy- 



■ copsis was evidently the species which has hitherto 

 been described as R, tindoria, the latter being a 

 Mediterranean species which ought to be expunged 

 from the British Flora. On the beetling cliffs 

 a few specimens of this lichen were found in fruit, 

 together with an abundance of Opegrapha grumu- 

 losa and Chiodccton Sarniensc in crumbling masses, 

 two lichens of which the former only has, I be- 

 lieve, been found elsewhere in Britain, near the 

 valley of rocks at Lynton, and the latter at the 

 same place, and near Penmon, in Anglesea. On 

 the boulders nearer the sea Dirina repanda, a lichen 

 only reported in England from Lynton and Great 

 Orme's Head, occurs in considerable abundance on the 

 shady under sm-face of the large blocks of limestone, 

 and is of so brittle a character that the blow of the 

 hammer not unfrequently detaches it in fragments. 

 Wherever bruised, this plant, as well as Chiodccton, 

 shows the curious yellow tint distinctive of the chryso- 



^oitidia, by which these lichens are easily distinguished 

 from their allies. Another very rare lichen, found also 

 at St. Vincent's Rocks, near Bristol and at Torquay, 

 occurred in some abundance on the shady side of a 

 ravine among the rocks. Only those who have met 

 with a rare plant in a locality in which it has only 

 once or twice been found before, and who never 



■ expect to find it elsewhere, can understand the plea- 

 sure that such a ' ' find " in an unhoped-for locality 

 gives rise to. The species here spoken of is one of the 

 gelatinous lichens, Synalissa symphorea. Near by, in 

 the damp hollows of the limestone, a few specimens 



■ of the characteristic limestone moss Weissia verticil- 

 lata, were found in fruit. Other rare lichens met with 

 were Placodiiun candicans, Collcma chalazaniun and 

 C. plicatik, Lccidea canescens in fructification, and 

 Vcrrucaria iitcavata, a curious little plant, looking 



like pins' heads immersed in the rock ; Ramalitia 

 evernioides, a species usually found on palings or trees, 

 but here growing on the rock : here and there too, 

 the pale yellowish crusts of Lccanora sulphicrca, and 

 the thallus of L, ochracca looking like orange-yellow 

 : stains on the rock, stood prominently out from the 

 neutral tint of the stone. 



The conchologist, too, might probably find some 



■ rarities here. The pretty shells of Cyclostoma elegans 

 with and without opercula, neat specimens of Helix 



■ lapicida, and the tiny ones of Helix rupestris, as well 



as abundance of Bulimics acictus and other uncommon 

 shells, were frequently met with. 



Many a rare moss, new to the district, also glad- 

 dened our eyes. The pretty iiitle Hypniuii circiii- 

 atum, a plant which grows abundantly in the 

 Coliseum at Rome, is a common species at Portland, 

 but was nowhere seen in fruit. Indeed, although 

 occurring abundantly in a few southern localities, 

 it has only been found once in that state in England, 

 near Padstow. Its near ally, H. striatuluni, also shy 

 in fruiting, occurred here and there in patches closely 

 adherent to shady rocks, and in one spot the subalpine 

 Ptcrigonium gracile spread its glossy, curled branches. 

 Nechcra crispa, an elegant species, whose shining 

 undulated leaves at once attract attention, Tortula 

 iortuosa, Trichostomum crispidum, easily distinguished 

 by the tips of the leaves being incurved like the bow 

 of a boat, and Phascum crispicm (its tiny capsules nest- 

 ling among the leaves, alone distinguishing it at night 

 from Weissia controz/ersa)— all characteristic lime- 

 stone species — were consecutively met with j while of 

 "new" mosses, Trichostomum littorale ornamented 

 the turf near the sea with broad yellowish patches ; 

 Trichostomum flavo-virens occurred sparingly in 

 crevices wetted by the spray ; Tortula uitida, in com- 

 pact tufts, was abundant on the dry limestone blocks, 

 and easily recognised by the midrib of the leaves 

 shining like a piece of brass wire, the leaves when 

 wetted being found to be almost all broken at the 

 tips ; and Tortula sinuosa in loose brownish patches, 

 every stem distinct and leaves imperfect at the tips, 

 occurred here and there. All these, observed in the 

 course of a morning's ramble, showed that much yet 

 remains to be done before the botany of Portland 

 Island is thoroughly known. 



Leaving the island and crossing the sands near the 

 railway towards Weymouth, many rare plants may be 

 collected ; among others Succdafruticosa, forming dark 

 green patches, occurs in some abundance. Here and 

 there Chenopodiicm murale crops up, and under the 

 walls the stinking orache, Chcnopodium oliduju, may 

 be recognised by its "ancient and fish-like " odour 

 (due to trinethylamine) as the foot treads upon it. 

 Salicornia fruticosa and Polycarpon tetraphyllum, the 

 latter well deserving its name of All seed, for little 

 else but the fruit can be seen in small plants, may 

 be found by those who know where to look for them. 

 Poa compressa, Triticum acutum, Festuca uniglumis , 

 and other rare grasses, at this time of year (August) 

 almost unrecognisable, are not unfrequent on the 

 sandy banks, as well as the singular Lcpturus incur- 

 vatus, which, but for the yellow anthers hanging on 

 the sides of the stem-like inflorescence, would be easily 

 overlooked. Crossing the Bridge, Thcsium lino- 

 ph^lhim and Juncus maritimus occur abundantly on 

 the damp meadow on the right, and Lathyrus aphaca 

 and Vicia Bithynica grow freely on the cliffs on the 

 left. 



Keeping to the right and visiting the seaside near 



