J. H. PRICE, I. TITTLEY & W. D. RICHARDSON 



detected in suitable local conditions elsewhere along this eastern Swanage-to-Lulworth section 

 of the Dorset coast. 



Most of the records localised to the Portland Bay and Harbour area also specifically state 

 Weymouth. Weymouth is by far the earliest and most consistently recorded location for Padina 

 pavonica on the Dorset coast. Even those records (1797 and a little earlier), dated some 40 years 

 before the earliest traced data for the Isle of Wight, are more than 120 years later than the 

 earliest Devon coast data (see below). The oldest specimen traced, clearly from a vigorous 

 population, is actually antedated slightly by publication (Withering, 1796) of the record from the 

 same place (Weymouth, Lookout) and by the same collector (Stackhouse) ; other material, 

 collected earlier, probably did and perhaps still does exist. Another specimen, recently (1971) 

 acquired by BM in a mostly early 19th century volume, may have derived from the same location 

 and perhaps even from the same collecting trip. The compiler, initials 'E. P.' [?an ancestor of 

 Edward Parfitt, or a relative of the Pilkington referred to in English Botany, pi. 1276] made 

 copious notes (see records and discussion under Devon) and exchanged specimens with many of 

 the better known phycologists of his time, such as Stackhouse and Dawson Turner. The specimen 

 of importance here is not dated precisely, but is unlikely to have been later than 1799; the annota- 

 tion [MS E. P.] combines data from Withering (1796) and from the Stackhouse (1797) specimen 

 quoted. The specimen shows the same vigorous basal stolon development as the Stackhouse 

 specimen. Many early specimens or records carry data which clearly indicate that the collection or 

 observation was inspired by the early Stackhouse locality data, if not actually part of the latter and 

 provided by Stackhouse. Specimens involved with Smith's English Botany, pi. 1276; K in BM 

 material from Herbs. Dillwyn and Lambert; and possibly Pulteney's (1799, 1813) observations, 

 are examples, although the latter were almost certain to have been supplemented by personal 

 observations. Subsequent information for Weymouth area is an even mixture of many literature 

 citations with original observations from many different years and seasons. Specimens, derived 

 from spots identified with variable precision, support or form exclusively most of the original 

 observations; amongst locations that can be identified, the Lookout, Portland Bay, Sandsfoot Bay, 

 and around the Castle (probably the incurve revealed at low water below Sandsfoot Castle, Portland 

 Harbour) and, especially, the Nothe pools area, are of importance. Cotton's (1906-11) detailed 

 series of seasonal specimens and field notes from the Nothe is particularly noteworthy. The series 

 clearly demonstrates variation in Padina abundance and seasonality from year to year. Our own 

 recent (6 August 1970, 5 May 1974) visits to Weymouth (SY 685786) and Portland resulted in 

 detection of only a few small colonies to the south of the [Weymouth] harbour entrance, where 

 rocky ledges run parallel to the shore (W-^E, approximately). This area of rocks represents the 

 'Nothe Pools', and may also be that referred to as 'rocks near the Lookout', and 'Lookout'; we 

 have been unable with certainty to establish the whereabouts of the latter. Further south, within 

 Portland Harbour, Western Ledges (SY 679778) appeared to offer suitable conditions for Padina, 

 but none was found. The rocks just to the south and west of Western Ledges, below Sandsfoot 

 Castle and probably the source of earlier (Sandsfoot Bay, c. 1850) records, also require further 

 examination. According to Gosse (1854), the populations at Sandsfoot and between there and 

 Byng Cliff were established by Thompson, who took fronds from the Nothe area and scattered 

 them in nearby similar situations, where they flourished. Plants could still be detected in 1967. 



Lyme Regis has long been a popular resort and this probably accounts for the existence of the 

 very early (1802) record. Given this very early record, with precise comments, it is surprising that 

 no further data can be traced until the (probably primary) literature record of 1864 (Plues). The 

 break between 1864 and 1884 (Walker) is equally mystifying; Lyme Regis did not lose popularity 

 for holidays and natural history studies at that point. There is a further long break until the present 

 era of reports (1971, 1972, 1976). All records are from shallow pools on ledges. Our visits (1968, 

 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976) have revealed, to the west of the famous 'Cobb' (the very old and massive 

 stone quayside and harbour), a series of gently sloping, shaly ledges very similar to those at 

 Forelands, Isle of Wight, and trending south-west, to seaward. The gentle slope of these ledges 

 ensures that the wet rock surface drains only slowly and tends to accumulate sediment deposits. 

 Padina was found (1972, 1976) to grow over a considerable part of the ledges from about mid- 

 littoral downwards into shallow water, in some cases being truly if shallowly infralittoral. There 



