65 



Two very rare grasses are Knappia agrostidea and Cynosurus 

 echinatus. Ferns are numerous and beautiful, and include the 

 harts-tongue, with many varieties, the maiden hair (Adiantum 

 Capillus H. Veneris), Asplenium Trichomanes, and marinum; and 

 Gymno gramma leptophylla. Three species of Equisetacese are 

 found in Jersey, and three of Characeae. 



Mosses and Lichens are abundant, and the latter especially 

 give a striking tone and colour to the coast scenery, and greatly 

 obscure the mineral character of the rock surfaces. The Fungi, 

 though numerous, have not been much studied. Sea-weeds are 

 most abundant and varied. Diatomaceae are very abundant and 

 interesting, especially the marine forms. 



The Flora of the Channel Islands consist of 890 species, and 

 238, or 27J/0, are peculiar to Jersey, whilst only 52 species, or 

 6% are absent. Many sub-tropical plants have been introduced 

 into Jersey and flourish exceedingly. 



Zoology. 



Mammalia. — The wild beasts of Jersey are not numerous now 

 as they were in past ages, when Jersey was part of France. Then 

 the fox, the wolf, the longhorned ox, certain deer, and even the 

 woolly rhinoceros were inhabitants of the land, as has been proved 

 by their remains which have been found in caves and peat deposits. 

 Now the Mammalia are represented by nine genera and 15 species. 

 These are the hare, rabbit, brown rat, black rat, long-tailed field 

 mouse, short-tailed field mouse, the shrew, mole, stoat, the water 

 mole, the hedge-hog, the long-eared bat, the pipistrelle bat, the 

 marten and the bank vole, which seems to be an animal peculiar 

 to Jersey. 



The hare is becoming very scarce, and will soon be extinct. 

 Of marine forms (Cetacea) the only constant species is the 

 porpoise, but the grampus is frequently seen off the coast. The 

 common seal is occasionally captured, and one specimen of the 

 great grey seal has been taken. 



Birds. — Considering the limited area of the Channel Islands 

 and their dense population, and the persecution all kinds of birds 

 get from every man who can get hold of a gun, the number of 

 birds is surprising. The list comprises about 190 species, of which 

 about go are residents and about 100 are visitors. 



Of birds of prey there are eight species which are residents : 

 Kestrel, sparrow-hawk, common buzzard, merlin, peregrine falcon, 

 and three owls, the barn owl, the short-eared owl, and the long- 

 eared owl. The hoopoe and golden oriole used to be abundant 

 here and nested, but are nearly or entirely extinct. 



The starling, which used to be only an autumn visitor, has 

 taken to breed in Jersey since 1890, and may be seen in enormous 

 numbers coming in the evenings to roost in the evergreen oaks. 

 The magpie is very abundant, almost every copse having one or 

 more nests. 



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