The natural History of Steep Holm. 
STEEP HOIyM, which once formed part of the peninsula of 
Brean Down, is a rocky island of limestone in the Bristol 
Channel about two or three miles from the coast of Weston-super- 
Mare, and is a conspicuous object, rising as it does perpendicularly 
out of the water to a height of nearly 260 feet. It has long been 
known as an interesting spot from a botanist's point of view, and 
yet comparatively few of them have ever landed on its shores. 
Turner, when Dean of Wells in the 16th century, seems to have 
visited the island, because in his famous Herbal, written in 1562, 
he speaks of plants growing in a " certain Island between the far 
part of Somersetshire and Wales." Lobelius, the Fleming, must 
have landed there soon after, and a century later it is on record 
that the botanist James Newton went there on behalf of Ray and 
noted Allium Ampeloprasum, one of the special plants that 
flourish on the heights. In 1773 we know that the Rev. John 
Ivightfoot, a Gloucestershire man, in company with Sir Joseph 
Banks, paid a visit to the sister islands of Steep and Flat Holm 
and studied their flora. The first published record of the 
existence of the celebrated Peony appears to have been made in 
1803 by Mr. F. B. Wright, who lived at Hinton Blewett, near 
Clutton, and that flower and the leek have been from then 
onwards the great attraction in drawing people to pay a visit to 
Steep Holm. A complete or exact examination of the island, in 
order to record its total flora as apart from noting endemic 
species, or the little known plants that are usually associated 
with limestone soils, appears not yet to have been carried out, 
or at least there are no such lists on record. 
A landing on the little beach is only possible when the sea is 
fairly calm, and it may be necessary to wait for days together to 
effect a visit, and this would check a thorough exploration of the 
many hollows and rocky clefts. 
The first account met with is from a visit conducted by Mr. 
John Storrie, of Cardiff, in 1877, accompanied by three " other 
members of the Cardiff Naturalists' Society, who landed on the 
island in June and stayed one night at the so-called hotel. He 
mentions less than 20 plants as worthy of comment. The Cardiff 
Naturalists, however, got up a larger party of ladies and gentle- 
men in May, 1883, w!h> spent an afternoon in rambling over the 
heights. Mr. Storrie was again of the party, and by the help 
of some members, he compiled a list to form the " Flora of the 
Steep Holm." The names are given of 149 flowers and grasses, 
including even the common daisy, but later observers feel the 
party must have been marvellously successful in obtaining cer- 
tain flowers which have not come under their notice at the 
same time of year. On the same visit he mentions four species 
of land shells and one variety. The next list of plants we have 
is one compiled by the Rev. R. P. Murray, the author of the 
