British Empire Naturalists' Association in Jersey

Abstract

IN the official report of the summer meeting of the British Empire Naturalists' Association in Jersey, Mr. Leslie Beckett, honorary organising secretary of the Association, states that many rare plants and birds were observed. Particularly was the island fruitful in flora, and of the more interesting examples noted, mention is made of many plants rare or unknown in England but quite well established and safe in Jersey; for Jersey is the northern limit of many Continental and North African plants. The English or five-spotted catchfly (Silene gallica) was found in profusion nearly everywhere, and near Crabbo, the party found the rare variety, quin-quevulnera, which few of the botanists present had seen before. One party found a big patch of the Jersey bugloss (Echiimt plantagineum] between St. Brelades and Corbiere. On the sand-dunes near Le Pont was found the rare yellow broomrape (Orobanche ritro) which is not found elsewhere between this locality and Spain. On the last afternoon of the fortnight, Convolute, Roscoffenaia was noted, an extraordinary example of symbiosis between a worm and an alga. Of bird-life, Mr. Le Maitre led a party to the cliffs at Crabbe, to photograph the horring-gullery there, and the Rev. Pere Burdos led a party to the Pinnacle, a rock 200 ft. above sea-level near Plemont, where the peregrine faJcon, raven, puffin and nesting guillemots, razorbills and oyster-catchers were seen. The granites in which Jersey is so rich interested the geologists, and while studying a quarry near Gorey Caatle the rare hyssop-leaved loosestrife plant was noted. The first meeting of the London branch of the B.E.N.A. will be held at the Furnival Hall, Furnival Street, on October 16, when Mr. J. Ramsbottom will lecture on “Moulds and Mushrooms”.