JUNE. 253 



friend were compelled to clamber up every cliff and 

 hill within the kingdom of England, dominion of 

 "Wales, and town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, day by day, 

 till another brilliant Isatis met his view, I fear his 

 ascents and explorations would produce many an ad- 

 venture in 



'' th' imminent deadly breach," 



ere he effectually accomplished his purpose. On ano- 

 ther occasion a brother botanist and myself were 

 nearly a whole day hunting among marshes and ditches 

 for the beautiful "Water Violet (Hottonia palustris), 

 which we failed to find, though a thousand " Adders' 

 Tongues,' which we had not dreamt of, presented 

 themselves across our track yet only two or three 

 days after, a fair maiden brought to my house a bunch 

 of these self same Water Violets, which my friend and 

 myself had so long looked for in vain. And these 

 lovely gems of intermingled lilac, white and yellow, 

 abounded in one watery ditch only in my neighbour- 

 hood, while a thousand excursions had failed to present 

 them ever to my view before. So the beautiful Wood 

 Vetch (Vicia sylvatica), whose blossoms marbled with 

 deep purple veins, might, as Sir WALTER SCOTT says, 

 " canopy TITAMTA'S bower," in some woods revels most 

 profusely, and, covering the bushes and trees makes 

 a delightful show, while in others it might be sought 

 for in vain. 



The beautiful Bastard-Balm (Melittis Melissopliyl- 

 lum), so long retaining its fragrance in the herbarium, 



logues persist in marking this as an introduced plant, but as it was used 

 for tinctorial purposes by the painted Britons, it seems likely enough to 

 have been indigenous in then- day. It may always be found at the locality 

 named, where I have known it more than thirty years, and never failing 



* Ophioglossum vulgatum. 



