some of the specimens were five feet high. In all probability, it will be found plentifully throughout the country lying between the river Embome and the Hampshire Downs."-W. Mathews, jun.; Edgbaston House, Birmingham, October 3, 1853.

Filago spathulata near Woodstock.

"It may be worth while to record the occurrence of Filago spathulata, Presl, in the neighbourhood of Woodstock. I gathered it on the 11th instant, about half a mile from the town, where it grows abundantly, in waste places by the side of the Oxford road."-Id.; October 18.

Lastrea Thelypteris in Warwickshire.

"Since the draining of the bog at Allesley (see Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. v. p. 199), I have had no reason to believe that Lastrea Thelypteris has ever been met with in Warwickshire. About three weeks ago, a few specimens of this fern were brought to me, for examination, by Mr. Henry Bromwich, gardener, of Myton. Last Tuesday (October 11), accompanied by Mr. Bromwich, I visited the locality, a swamp, indicated on the Ordnance Map by a faint nebulous mark, about four miles N.N.W. of Warwick, half a mile N. of Goodrest Lodge, and within a few yards of Rounsel Lane. We found this beautiful fern growing in great abundance, and of unusually large dimensions. The fronds were from two feet and a half to four feet high."-W. G. Perry; Warwick, October 17, 1853.

Aceras Anthropophora, and Ferns with bifid and multifid Fronds,

in Jersey.

"I found, the other day, at Rozel, a plant of the Aceras Anthropophora, in seed; so there is another plant to be added to Babington's Catalogue. I have been shown specimens of the following ferns, with the extremity of the fronds bifid, and sometimes multifid, which have been gathered in the Island; viz., Asplenium Trichomanes, A. Adiantum-nigrum, A. lanceolatum, Blechnum boreale, Polypodium vulgare, Aspidium Filix-mas, and Scolopendrium vulgare; but, I believe, this last is frequently found in that state. I have myself found a plant of Aspidium angulare in which some fronds were bifid and others multifid; and there was only one frond in the whole that was simple.”—M. Piquet, in a letter to N. B. Ward, Esq., who kindly communicates it.

Lathyrus latifolius near Glastonbury.

"I was lately shown the broad-leaved everlasting pea (Lathyrus latifolius) growing in a wood on Ivythorn Hill, near Glastonbury. My friend who showed it me had known it there for twenty years, or more; and it had the appearance of being perfectly wild; but it was confined to one spot; nor, after a search of two or three hours, could we find it anywhere else in the neighbourhood. We found, however, two other rare plants, growing not far from it, Lithospermum purpureo-cæruleum and Astragalus glycyphyllos. I enclose a pair of the leaflets of the Lathyrus, by which it will be seen that I have not mistaken a broad-leaved variety of L. sylvestris for it.”—Thomas Clark ; October, 1853.

Trichomanes speciosum in Ireland.

6

Mr. Newman made the following observations :-" The old saw of 'Eyes and no Eyes' is often brought to my mind by the records of botanical tourists; and no species so frequently calls it to remembrance as Trichomanes speciosum. One writes that the fern is extirpated from the Killarney district;' a second, that it has long ceased to exist at the old station at Turk Waterfall;' a third, that it exists in fifty stations all round Killarney;' and a fourth, that it is abundant and luxuriant, at the present moment, at Turk, and may be seen from one of the points to which tourists are taken to view the fall.' The last account is verified by the transmission of specimens, and emanates from one whose word is not open to question."

MALVERN NATURALISTS' CLUB.

Meeting at Knightsford.

On Tuesday last, the 14th inst., the Malvern naturalists held their September field meeting, at Knightsford Bridge, where they were joined by a party from this city, and a deputation from the Worcester Club. The vicinity of Knightsford is not exceeded in picturesque beauty by any part of the county of Worcester; and many have been the pleasant parties here, as mine host of the cozy inn at the Bridge could bear witness. Here, too, in twilight times long gone by, several geological formations took a fancy to join company; and the faults" they then committed are still commented upon by those

66

who, strange as it may seem, profess acumen sufficient to see through a stone wall! But as, according to the dictum of the poet, there never was a faultless piece, so the slips of geology may be deemed but venial, since the level surface of the earth is thus modified, and a wilderness of beauty is formed out of a chaos of débris. Such is the case about Knightsford and Ankerdine; and this country the lovers of Nature were now about to explore. After some preliminary business, under the Presidency of the Rev. W. S. Symonds, Rector of Pendock, the exploration commenced, under the direction of Mr. E. Lees, F.L.S., who had formerly the advantage of going over the same ground with Dr. Buckland. Rosebury Rock, on the southern bank of the Teme, was first visited; and on the way to it a remarkable spot was examined: where the Silurian ridge, in its progress from Suckley, suddenly terminates, a great fault throws the new red sandstone unconformably against the old red; and, a denuding or displacing force having at an early date swept away the divided Silurian beds, the Teme at present glides through a channel that originally admitted a current of the primæval sea. The verge of Rosebury Cliff, 378 feet in altitude by the trigonometrical survey, was now approached, and the word given to descend its almost perpendicular face, which was at length safely effected. As a picturesque object, Rosebury forms a beautifully wooded mass, shadowing the rapid Teme that bathes its base. In its cool, shadowy recesses Scolopendrium, Polypodium, and other ferns, grow much more luxuriantly than usual; and it may be searched with advantage for mosses and the Cryptogamia. The rarer plants now gathered were Cotyledon Umbilicus, Teesdalia nudicaulis (very fine), Potentilla argentea, and Campanula Trachelium. Poetical wanderers may be interested in knowing that this rock was a favourite haunt of the fairies; and in the lane near it is a large old maple-tree, called Bate's Bush: the said maple growing, as traditionally stated, from a stake driven through the body of a poor suicide; and in connexion with which Mr. Allies, in his Antiquities and Folk-lore of Worcestershire,' has recorded a most horrible tale of "something like a black pig," and "a man without a head," seen there by credible observers, of course at the witching hour of night!

The declining autumnal season lessened the number of plants generally gathered by the botanists of the party; but it may be noticed as a pretty feature that the crest of the hill was purple with the flowery ling (Calluna vulgaris); while the bushes on the margin of the woods were prettily wreathed with the virgin's bower (Clematis

Vitalba), almost the last blossom of the year that falls from Flora's lap. The orpine (Sedum Telephium) was also gathered, in flower, upon Ankerdine, and quantities of the pretty eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis) decorated the grassy slopes. A very singular vegetable appearance attracted every eye near Collins' Green, and caused all to mount up the bank, to examine it. A dwarf oak, growing on a prominence not far from the road, appeared to be covered with ruby-glowing fruit, of the size of grapes; indeed, delicious in aspect as the bunches depending from the most luxuriant vine. They were found to be a most astonishing growth of gall-nuts, that in maturity very much simulate the appearance of a ripe strawberry; but such a quantity as here appeared were surely never before seen! The boughs of the oak were literally bent down with their clusters, some of the leaves having as many as twenty large gall-nuts upon them, and numbers had from four to ten; altogether the tree must have borne thousands. These gall-nuts arise from the puncture of a small hymenopterous insect, called Cynips quercifolia; and the liquor deposited has the effect of inducing the tissue of the leaf to be thus metamorphosed into apparent fruit, which really nourish a young grub within each of them. These pretty-looking galls, being tasted, were pronounced "bitter as soot," and as belonging to the Unedo family, only fit to be once eaten! In fact, they are strikingly analogous to the celebrated apples of Sodom, which are proved to have been galls of a larger kind, and which were so tempting to look upon, but crumbled into bitter ashes when any one attempted to eat them. They were reported to grow on the shores of the Dead Sea; and Milton appropriately introduces them into Pandemonium, as a dessert for the "thrones and dominations" he places there. The galls formed by the Cynipidæ take various forms; and the little, flat, brown disks, often seen on the under side of oak-leaves in autumn, are of the same nature, though commonly regarded as small Fungi.

From the deceptive, simulating fruit-tree, specimens of which were carried off, the party took the route for Berrow Hill, whence they returned by way of Horsham and the copses along the Teme-side; and a pleasant walk through orchards and meadows brought them back to Knightsford. In this last part of the route were gathered Jasione montana, Picris hieracioides (plentiful), Inula Conyza, and many species of Rubi, now blackening the hedges with their fruit; Rubus tenui - armatus more particularly noticeable. Also, among Fungi, the blood-coloured Boletus scaber.

The labour of observation being at last ended, none were found

missing from the abundant spread which mine host of the 'Talbot' had provided, and which was duly honoured in the attack and destruction thereof. But philosophers only eat and drink to live, and soon get again to their mental enjoyments. After a loyal toast or two, the Rev. F. Dyson, V.P., said, that as their labours in the field would be soon ended, they had still resolved that they would try, even within doors, to extend the love of their favourite study; and thought that a short course of lectures, delivered at Malvern, where there seemed a desire to embrace such an opportunity, would have a good effect. The Vicar of Malvern had, in the most kindly spirit, offered them the use of the Lyttelton school-room; and they could thus have a monthly lecture through the autumn and winter. The President said he could promise them the aid of Professor Buckman on Geology; but his idea was to commence with Field Botany, before all the flowers were gone; and he had induced his friend, Mr. Lees, to give them a subject they all knew he was so familiar with. He would, then, with their permission, take October the 13th for their inauguration day, and after some general opening remarks leave his friend to guide them into flowery paths, in his own peculiar way. Their worthy Secretary, Mr. Walter Burrow, would undertake the necessary arrangements; and they could have tickets from him. To make the matter still more pleasant, they intended a last meet for the season, the day after the lecture, which must, however, be at Eastnor, as a kind friend of his near Ledbury had authorised him to invite the Club to his hospitable board; and he trusted they would all respond to the invitation. A communication was then read from Mr. Baxter, of Worcester, as to his discovery of Udora Canadensis; and Mr. Lees, on the call of the President, entered into its history. The proceedings closed with a feeling and eloquent speech from the President, in reply to his health being given, and most warmly responded to. He said that their meetings were full of interest and delight, pleasant and beneficial to all of them. When he commenced the study of Natural History, he found the want of that friendly communion which would have much lessened his labours; but he had since enjoyed many associations like the present; and, independent of their higher mental influences, they had the advantage of bringing able and amiable observers together, who could confer on many points without ceremony; and thus they got occasionally in presence even with the heads of science, with whom otherwise they might never have been acquainted.