Ch. XXTV.] insects of ascension. 423 



♦ 

 island is absolutely without yegetation. The cinders in 



many places are incrusted with white and gray lichens (Par- 

 melia and Eoscella). Some are overgrown with more luxu- 

 riant species, as Physcia csesia, and I also observed a deep- 

 green incrustiag lichen on the sea-shore. Many spots, also, 

 in the water-courses, are quite cheerful with patches of bright 

 green, and several flowers spring up here and there which 

 have. escaped from the gardens on Green Mountain. I was 

 informed that some person had been in the habit of scatter- 

 ing seeds over various parts of the island. I noticed two 

 species of grasses, a Sonchus, an Aster with scented leaves, 

 &c. The most common plants, however, were the castor-oil 

 (Eicinus), a very handsome yellow poppy with prickly white- 

 veined leaves, and a large-flowered plant (Vinca rosea) which 

 is known on the island as the Madagascar Rose, and is re- 

 ported to have been imported from thence. 



Among this vegetation a few insects occur : large red- 

 winged locusts fly about among the rocks, and a fat black 

 cricket is common — I also saw a pale brown one, but could 

 not catch it. A Httle moth, very prettily marked, is com- 

 mon wherever a certain succulent plant occurred, and flew 

 'about among the rocks, settling for a moment and then 

 taking wing again, unless it happened to get in the shelter 

 of a crevice in the honeycomb of a cinder, where it seemed 

 to consider itself safe.* A somewhat larger pale brown 

 moth I also noticed from time to time ; but it flew rapidly 

 and was aided by a strong breeze which was blowing, and 

 appears usually to be blowing, over the island. Besides 



* My friend, Mr. Stainton, informs me that this little moth is Hymenia 

 reourvalis, of Fabricius, and that the British Museum possesses specimens of it 

 from, Jamaica, Sierra Leone, Ceylon, Bagdad, India, China, Australia, and 

 New Zealand. To these localities must now he added Ascension, so that this 

 little feehle insect is literally cosmopolitan. 



