254 WILD ELOWEBS OP 



is mostly confined to Hampshire and the south-west 

 of England. It was therefore with high delight that 

 I formed one of a botanical party when once visiting 

 Cheltenham, to see and gather this rarity in a wood 

 called Puckham Scrubs, among the heights of the 

 Cotteswolds. 



Many of the Orchidiae are very local the beautiful 

 Bee- Orchis (0. apifera), generally only occurs on or 

 near limestone ; the Frog Orchis (Platwfhera viridis) 

 in moist pastures ; and the singular Lizard Orchis, 

 has been hardly ever met with any where else in 

 Britain than near Dartford, in Kent. Those who live 

 in the vicinity of the chalk formation may find many 

 beautiful plants confined to such habitats, as the 

 Brown- winged Orchis (O.fusca), Military Orchis (0. 

 militaris), Monkey Orchis (0. teplirosantlws), and the 

 very singular Green Man Orchis (Aceras antliropo- 

 phorci), whose flowers, when closely examined, have 

 such a strange anthropomorphous aspect, as to seem 

 like little men or monkeys. Indeed, scarcely a range 

 of hills or mountains exists which has not some plants 

 either peculiar to them, or more abundant there than 

 in other places and in glancing at my herbarium I 

 have just met with a fine specimen of the purple Milk 

 Vetch (Astragalus hypoglottis) , which I well remember 

 to have snatched with joy from the rugged brow of 

 Bredon-hill, "Worcestershire, many years ago. 



The angular -leaved Solomon's Seal (Qonvallaria 

 polygonatwii), is another of those beautiful plants that 

 restricted to privileged though truly natural localities, 

 so often rise up to the imagination of the really en- 

 thusiastic field botanist, to tempt his wandering steps 

 and promote his mental enjoyments. This, with the 



