INSECTS AND PLANTS AT PORTLAND. 29 



light. Thirteen other plume moths with their beautifully 

 divided wings like feathers occur here, but no very rare ones. 

 There is a little moth with a purplish black gloss (Psychoides 

 verhiiellella), of which the larva feeds in the leaves, but 

 generally in the sori of the hart's tongue fern. Speaking of 

 ferns, the true maidenhair fern used to be found as lately as 

 1877, in crevices of the cliffs, but is now believed to be extinct 

 owing to quarrying. It may however linger somewhere. 

 I have found Asplenium marinum in recesses of rocks close to 

 the sea. Madder (Rubia peregrina) grows abundantly on the 

 west undercliff and to a less extent on the east side, and 

 produces Botys asinalis. The bee orchis is sometimes common 

 in the west quarries, and borage, hounds-tongue, mullein, 

 vervain, marjoram, golden rod, samphire, carline and other 

 thistles, wild carrot, Portland and other spurges, are all 

 common on the East Weare or undercliff, and mostly 

 interesting entomologically. Sambucus ebulus (Danes blood) 

 grows in masses a little further on, and there is a quantity of 

 fennel, probably an escape from cultivation close by. If time 

 permits, which is not generally the case, the miniature under- 

 cliff on which it grows, and which starts a few hundred yards 

 beyond the end of this one, is worth seeing. It begins just 

 beyond the engine-house, if that institution has survived the 

 universal quarrying. I will end by mentioning a very minute 

 but beautiful and rare moth (Neplicula centifolielld) the larva 

 of which mines into the leaves of the sweet briar (Rosa 

 micrantha), bushes of which grow abundantly on the under- 

 cliff North of Pennsylvania. When the larva is full fed, it 

 comes out of the leaf and spins its cocoon in the axil of the leaf, 

 w r hich is therefore easily found. The common species of this 

 genus, which feeds on garden and wild roses almost every- 

 where, I have never found on these bushes, nor has N. 

 centifoliella occurred elsewhere in Dorset. If anyone desires 

 further information about the plants or moths, I have a copy 

 of Mr, Barrett's and my own lists which he can study. To 



