undulating sands from the coast in windy weather. The horizon is lost in the misty air, loaded with fine particles of sand, constantly in motion, whether the gale come from the west, or from the east. Since, however, winds from the former quarter are both more frequent, and blow steadily up a continuous slope from the sea, while the latter are little felt near the lower ground, the ridge of the hill serving as a shelter, the result is an unmistakeable advance inland, and farms, houses, and even villages, become gradually obliterated. Much grass of that peculiar kind that roots in loose sand has been allowed to grow, but it is quite insufficient to check the evil.

Few of the small islands and rocks within the district of the Channel Islands, are without a low cliff of mixed angular stones and sands, derived from some higher level than that at which they now appear. The Hermitage Island, near Elizabeth Castle, Green Island, or La Motte, between the Grêve d'Azette and St. Clement's Bay in Jersey, some of the Hanois rocks off Guernsey, the island of Crevichon near Herm, the Moie de Mouton and the Gouliot rocks off Sark, are all examples. All these point to the time, certainly not distant, when the sea had not yet severed them from the larger tracts of land adjoining. All help to give weight to the great geological lesson taught everywhere in these islands; namely, the importance of existing causes as agents of change. In this respect, if in no other, the Channel Islands are among the most interesting portions of British land.

The sands of Herm appear to be comparatively fixed, and do not advance over the island. They are the only exclusively calcareous sands in the Channel Islands, and are derived from shells that have lived in the adjacent seas. The sands of Guernsey on the west coast are extensive, and occasionally drift a little, but they have not done injury to the adjacent cultivated lands.

Off the south-eastern extremity of Guernsey there would

seem to be a singular formation going on. Specimens of foraminifera have been dredged there by Dr. Lukis, apparently in a fossil state, but the particulars have not been satisfactorily determined. The specimens found were probably drifted from the continent of France.

In addition to the soil derived from the decomposition and disintegration of all the rocks in all the islands, there are occasionally deposits of some extent, consisting of brick clay, and potters' clay. There are also smaller deposits of kaolin or china clay. All these are derived from veins in the porphyritic rock. Many extensive and thick beds of clay are worked in Jersey, but they offer no characteristic peculiarities. In Guernsey the largest mass of available clay for building and pottery, extends from near St. Martin's church in the south of the island towards the north east, terminating in the lower district near St. John's. There is a vein of kaolin at the Coupée in Sark, and Alderney supplies almost inexhaustible stores of brick clay.

Although certainly presenting little of that kind of interest belonging to countries where many varied rocks succeed one another in well-marked order, the Channel Islands are, then, not destitute of geological charms. They may well instruct even the most advanced student, and they are not without sufficient material to amuse the beginner.

To the collector of minerals and rocks, there is much of interest in all the islands. Many of the most important minerals have been already alluded to; but as many others have been found, a list is given on the next page that may be useful for reference. It might be largely increased by adding the names of the rarer varieties of such minerals as belong to porphyrite rocks and quartz veins. The metaliferous minerals are rare, and almost confined to Sark and Herm. The rocks named may be found in most localities in all the islands.

N.B.-The names of some of the minerals occurring in rock masses are re

peated in the second list.

CHAPTER XII.

THE FAUNA AND FLORA OF THE CHANNEL ISLANDS CONSIDERED IN REFERENCE TO THEIR PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY.

It is hoped and believed that the publication of the Natural History lists, in Chapters VIII. and IX., in a state admittedly imperfect, will induce the island naturalists to exert themselves to fill up the lacunæ. That these are numerous, is a fact of which the collectors themselves are well aware. It is one, however, that requires no excuse. The simple circumstance that

STATE OF THE NATURAL HISTORY LISTS.

299

most of the catalogues were made for private use, and were put into the hands of the present writers at a comparatively short notice, anticipates all reasonable objection.*

But if the lists be only imperfect measures of the actual Flora and Fauna of the islands, they are, at least, favourable measures of the extent to which, in their various divisions and subdivisions, they have been illustrated by local skill and energy.

It is not difficult to anticipate the departments in which they will be least unexceptionable and the points upon which the most work still remains to be done. The fullest and the most sufficient lists are those (as we expect, a priori), of the trees, shrubs, and flowering plants, the grasses, the sedges, and the ferns. The nature of the objects themselves is, to a great extent, the cause of this superior accuracy: to greater extent still, the excellent Manual of Professor Babington. The lists of cryptogamic plants generally are the least perfect of the botanical series, and of these the Fungi, perhaps, require most revision. Of the Fauna, we may mention as the most imperfect departments, some tribes of insects, the smaller crustacea, the annelids, and the acalephæ; although many others require careful examination, and a comparison of the species said to occur in the different islands. Perhaps the lists, as a whole, may be regarded as indicating the peculiarities of Guernsey natural history, rather than that of the Channel Islands generally. This arises from the fact that there are more island naturalists there than in Jersey. That the Fauna and Flora of the islands are those of Normandy and Britany, and that little in the way of novelty is to be expected from even the most microscopic examination, is no reason for neglecting them.

* It will, no doubt, be found that in spite of much care and attention, most conscientiously exercised, many errors of various kinds have crept into the lists. The explanation above given will, perhaps, be admitted as an excuse; and it is hoped that in a future edition the lists will be as much more correct, as they will certainly be fuller.