The Zoologist— November, 1871. 2841 



In reference to the Flora of these islands, may be mentioned the 

 Iris pseudacorus and Arundo Phragmites, which abound in the 

 marshy districts of St. Mary's; the Asplenium marinum, sea-pink, 

 and rock samphire (the last in proportions and abundance that 

 I had never seen it elsewhere) are also plentiful on the coast, and 

 Euphorbia paralius ?, Lavatera arborea, the tree mallow, Erythrsea 

 centaurium (on Samson), Trifoliura arvense, the yellow horned 

 poppy, wild flax, sea-holly, as well as other commoner plants, 

 are to be found. 



Butterflies proved by no means abundant, either in number or 

 kind. In the first place, the season was well advanced, and the 

 weather, though mostly fine, was occasionally windy, and there was 

 no variety of flowers to attract them, as by far the greater part of the 

 islands consisted of downs covered with heath, bracken or furze : 

 I only saw seven common species in all, viz. Vanessa Atalanta, 

 V. Cardui, V. Urticae, Pieris Rapae, Lycaena Alexis, Polyommatus 

 Phlaeas and Satyrus Janira. Plusia Gamma was the one moth 

 everywhere to be seen. I likewise took Phlogophora meticulosa at 

 rest on a wall, Epunda lichenea, Hydroecia micacea, Sericoris 

 littorana (on sea-pink), Stenopteryx hybridalis (on St. Agnes), 

 Pterophorus fuscus, Crarabus geniculeus and Phitella cruciferarum. 

 Macroglossa Stellatarum was hovering around the geraniums at 

 Trescoe, and the gardener there had captured Sphinx Convolvuli 

 outside the greenhouse, and had a fine specimen of Acheronlia 

 Atropos given him lately by the coast-guard. Caterpillars were 

 numerous, but they were nearly all those of Arctia Caja, with the 

 exception of Taeniocampa instabilis, Hadena Pisi (on St. Martin's), 

 and Acronycta Rumicis; while our old autumnal friend, the fat 

 and mottled spider Epeira diadema was to be seen as much at 

 home, swinging in his web between two wind-swept boulders 

 on the sea-shore, as on any garden flower in the neighbourhood 

 of town : I met with a curious red variety of this species on 

 Samson. 



The geological formation here consists entirely of granite, either 

 reddish or white, and constituting a continuation of the Cornish 

 series. Quartz boulders are widely strewn on the summit of Bryher, 

 and on Trescoe Downs. 



The sea-birds which occurred in the greatest number were the 

 kittiwake, puflSn and cormorant; this last-named bird was un- 

 usually plentiful. We also noticed the blackbacked gull, 



