VOL. XVIII. (3) EXCURSION— WEYMOUTH, PORTLAND, &c. 219 



the situation everywhere. The local Hieracium platyphyllum, found in 1907, 

 was one of the important things missed now, and we could not trace Valeri- 

 anella eriocarpa. But Mr Barratt kindly directed us to a spot where we found 

 both Limonium occidentale, and L. recurvum. The latter is a form of Sea 

 Lavender confined to Portland, and even there is very scarce. It is known 

 from no other locality in the world. It may be doubted whether its characters 

 — greater stoutness, compactness of inflorescence, recurved spikes, bract 

 characters and so on — are of specific value, but the plant, in good condition, 

 is quite easy to distinguish from L. occidentale, and makes at least a good 

 variety. It was a great pleasure to see it, and to know that it is in no danger 

 of extinction, so long as botanists treat it with respect. Of other Portland 

 plants we need only mention Diplotaxis muralis var. Babingtonii, Medicago 

 maculata, M. denticulata, Carum segetum, Foeniculum (? escaped), Rubia, 

 Galium tricorne, the rayed form of Centaur ea nigra, Matricaria inodora var. 

 Salina, Salvia Verbenaca, Lithospermum arvense, Echium vulgare. Euphorbia 

 portlandica, Mercurialis annua. Iris fcetidissima, Allium vineale, (a tiresome 

 weed), Scirpus Tabernasmontani, and the ubiquitous Brachypodium pinnatum : 

 while in some parts the whole of the cliff top turf was composed of Lepturus. 

 The local Hordeum maritimum was also found before the ascent of the island. 

 On Tuesday morning, the same party of four visited the ground near 

 Monte Video on the north side of the Fleet. Their special purpose was to 

 find Lathyrus Aphaca which was seen in quantity in a field there, seven years 

 ago. It was now sought for in vain, but Ranunculus sardous throve in a 

 muddy clayey lane, the haunt of brickbats, empty tins and Lotus tenuis. 

 Some Senecio sylvaticus, at one point, suggested the presence of heathy 

 ground, and a pond produced the pretty grass Catabrosa, fine specimens of 

 Alisima ranunculoides , Potomogeton pusillus. Ranunculus Baudotii, etc. 

 CEnanthe pimpinelloides, usually a rare plant, and in Gloucestershire local 

 only, was common on dry road sides and meadows — as in most of Dorset — 

 while close by in wet places would be found CEnanthe Lachenalii. On re- 

 turning to Weymouth, near Sandsfoot Castle we failed to find Tri folium 

 subterraneum, recently discovered at Lancaut, near Chepstow, but on the 

 cliffs and at their foot quantities of the rare vetch, Vicia lutea, were seen, in 

 a form with very pale flowers, hardly yellow at all ; in Cornwall and else- 

 where the flowers are a decided yellow. An interesting form of V. angusti- 

 folia is found there. It has very dark, almost black, flowers, and was in 

 quantity in 1907 ; this year it was scarce and was already in fruit, no flowers 

 being seen. The only other noticable features were the large quantities of 

 native Celery growing on the cliff face ; the presence of such introduced species 

 as Hippophae, the Sea Buckthorn, Heracleum giganteum, etc., and the 

 occurrenceof the local Sea Clover, Trifolium maritimum and the great Festuca 

 arundinacea. It was too late for the grass-leaved Vetchling. [H.J.R.] 



PORTLAND. 



The official party arrived at Weymouth about 2 p.m. on the Tuesday. 

 At 3 p.m. the Member^s left the Hotel Burdon, which was headquarters, for 

 Portland. On the way they were reminded of Weymouth's halcyon days of 

 1779-1805, when George III. — or " Farmer Jarge " as the quaint Wessex 

 folk of those days used to call him — visited the town, by an ungainly statue 

 erected to that monarch in 1809. Passing through Wyke Regis the Members 

 soon arrived at the Torpedo Works, and obtained a good view of Portland 

 Harbour and the Chesil Bank. 



Portland Harbour is a fine natural harbour excavated by the sea out of 

 the Kimmeridge Clay (Plate XXIII., fig. i). It is protected on the west by 

 the Chesil Bank and on the east by a breakwater. This breakwater took 

 twenty- three years to construct. " The first stone was laid by Prince Consort 

 on the 25th July, 1849, and the last stone by the King (Edward VII.) then 



