102 
CONTRIBUTIONS TO A FLORA OF THE SCILLY ISLES. 
Bx F. Townsenp, Esq., M.A, 
The Phanerogamous plants and Ferns enumerated in the following 
list were observed during a short stay made in the Scilly Isles from 
the 21st of June to the Ist of July, 1862; My time having been so 
limited, the list and notes must necessarily be incomplete, but as no 
attempt has hitherto been made to publish anything like a complete 
catalogue, I trust that the present contributions may not be devoid of 
interest and value. A further search, particularly at a different season, 
would doubtless swell the list, and might result in the discovery of 
such plants as Corrigiola littoralis, Illecebrum verticillatum, Polycarpon 
tetraphyllum, Ophioglossum Lusitanicum, Isoëtes Hystrix, etc. ete. 
ie whole group of the Scilly Isles is included in an area of about 
ten miles long by five broad. Of the thirty-eight principal islands only 
five are inhabited, viz. St. Mary's, St. Martin's, Tresco, Bryer, and St. 
Agnes; most of the others, amounting to upwards of a hundred, are little 
else than bare rocks. The group lies about twenty-four miles almost 
west of the Land’s End, in Cornwall, but the greater number of islands 
have a more southern latitude than the Lizard Point. ^ Tresco, which is 
one of the northernmost, has the same latitude as the Lizard, 49? 58^ N. 
St. Agnes, the southernmost inhabited island, lies six miles further 
south ; hence the southernmost and westernmost soil of England is to 
be found in the Scilly Isles. 
St. Mary’s, the largest island, is nine miles in circumference ; the 
country and the soil is more varied than in the other islands: ** The 
Heugh," south of Star Castle, consists prineipally of waste land of mo- 
derate elevation, covered with stunted gorse and scanty herbage. This 
spot was fortified in the reign of Elizabeth by a strong low wall, éx- 
tending all round the Heugh, which still exists. There is a large tract 
of elevated waste land at Peninnis Head, bearing little but gorse and 
heather. Extensive marshlands oceur in the neighbourhood of Heugh 
Town and Old Town ; these are intersected by freshwater ditches, At 
Old Town there is a large freshwater pool. Newford Downs are very 
barren and covered with gorse and heather. There is little sandy 
ground in St. Mary's, it occurs principally about St. Mary's Town 
and at Permellin Bay or Porthloo Bay. i 
