FLOWERING PLANTS. 125 
(Crepis taraxacifolia, Thuil. occurs in Alderney. ) 
Hieracium Pilosella, L. Mouse-ear Hawkweed. 
Native. First record: Gosselin, 1815. 
The commonest form in the island is the var. Peleterianum, 
Mer., which occurs abundantly on many parts of the cliffs. Bab- 
ington only records this variety in //. Sarn., adding the remark, 
‘the ordinary form of 4. pzlosW/a has not as yet been noticed in 
these islands.’ The type does occur, however, in many parts of 
Guernsey, though not commonly. It is more plentiful in Alderney. 
The French name, Zfervierve, like Hawkweed, Hawkbit, and 
Hieracium (Greek, Azerax, a hawk) suggests some sort of connexion 
between these plants and birds of prey; but I have not been able to 
discover any satisfactory explanation. The most commonly accepted 
derivation is the ancient belief that with these herbs hawks were in 
the habit of clearing their eyesight. 
Hieracium umbellatum, L. Narrow-leaved Hawkweed. 
Native. First record: Gosselin, 1815. 
Local and rare. Occurs in many lanes and heathy places at the 
Vale and (sparingly) on Lancresse Common. Also occurs in good 
quantity on the rocky shores of Cobo, on Cobo Castle hill, and in 
hedgebanks in the neighbourhood. The station given in 7. Sarn., 
‘Rocque du Guet,’ probably means Cobo Castle. The only locality 
I know for this plant in the south is in the water-lane behind 
Le Chéne (Iv.), where I saw a few plants in 1893. Mr. Andrews. 
has found it on Lihou Island. A very tall form (four feet high) was 
found by Miss Dawber in 1891 on a heath near Ruettes Brayes. 
Mr. Andrews has collected specimens belonging to the var. “¢torale, 
in a lane near Fort Doyle. 
(Under the name of Hreracium laevigatum, Willd. Koch., Babington 
describes in “7. Sarn., p. 58, a plant which I have not been able to 
identify with certainty. He records it as being found by him near 
Grand Havre, Guernsey, and also in Jersey ; and remarks that ‘the 
form of the leaves and the outer scales of the involucrum appear to 
distinguish this plant from both AH. subaudum and boreale, and the 
adpressed involucral scales with pale margins separate it from 
f7. umbellatum? I am not aware that any plant answering this. 
description has been found here since. Mr. F. J. Hanbury inclines 
to the opinion that it was some form of HZ. vig¢dum, Hartm. In all 
probability it was merely a Casual.) 
Xanthium spinosum, L. 
Casual. First found: Derrick, 1890. 
A single specimen of this plant was found by Mr. G. Derrick in 
September 1890, on the quarry heap by the Vale Castle. 
