OCTOBEE. 471 



As I must speedily have to take leave of phane- 

 rogamous vegetation, I shall here record a visit I paid 

 to the habitat of the rare Heliantliemum polifolium, 

 or white Mountain Hock-rose. I happened to be at 

 "Weston-super-mare, in Somersetshire, in the middle 

 of November, 1841, after winter had set in somewhat 

 fiercely ; but a fine gleam of sunshine tempting me 

 down to the beach, I thought it possible that I should 

 be able to find my way to Brean Down, and allured 

 by the prospect, bent my steps towards it, scarcely 

 expecting, however, to find a specimen left of the 

 plant in question, unless, perchance, in seed. I walked 

 down to the beach, where all was silent and deserted 

 the tide was out, and the distant roar of ocean 

 sounded but faintly on the ear. In front lay a wide 

 expanse of wet sand : in mid distance the rocky pro- 

 montory of Brean Down and the islands of the Steep 

 and Plat Holmes ; and beyond there lay a level sea, 

 bright in the subdued light that thin yet dusky clouds 

 permitted, that veiled the sun's orb from view. The 

 scene was calm, fine, but dreamy, and with the leaden 

 tints of twilight. Left of Brean Down a whole legion 

 of descending rays burst from the clouds, partially 

 intercepting the line of distant hills, but occasionally 

 lighting up their sides. After a long walk upon the 

 moist shining sands, I came to the verge of the little 

 river Axe, which I found cut off" my progress to the rocky 

 peninsula, and, as there was no bridge, I had to engage 

 a boatman to row me down the river to the rock, and, 

 of course, await my return. I was soon scrambling 

 up a precipice of carboniferous limestone, of which 

 the peninsula of Brean Down consists, running far 

 out into the Severn sea, and on so straight a line with 



