104 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



bargain; as it was, the fisherman boarded her, and 

 remained with her till the tug came and towed 

 her into Falmouth. It is to be hoped the said 

 fisherman was well rewarded for his trouble. The 

 sale took place on the edge of the cliff, under the 

 lighthouses, almost within sight of the wreck. The 

 luckless ship's cargo, which consisted of barley, was 

 spread out on the turf to dry, and her spars and 

 rigging arranged round it in "sundry lots." It 

 was just concluded when we arrived ; but the pur- 

 chasers, principally weather-beaten fishermen of the 

 neighbourhood, were still examining and talking 

 over their bargains. 



Lizard Town consists of two or three inns, and a 

 few other houses and shops, the latter being chiefly 

 for the sale of serpentine ornaments. Its situation 

 and appearance is dreary enough, and were it not 

 for its proximity to the sea, or many objects of 

 interest to the tourist, no one would stay there 

 longer than he could help. 



I was fortunate in obtaining several new plants 

 for my collection, in the immediate neighbourhood. 

 On the banks of the brook near Landewednach 

 Church, Sweet Cyperus, or Galingale {Cyperus 

 longus), grows in considerable quantities. It is a 

 very graceful plant, with long streaming leaves and 

 a triangular stem. At Caerphyllian I found another 

 of the sedge family, the Prickly Cladium {Cladium 

 Mariscus), a tall, handsome, rush-like plant, but 

 wanting the elegance of the Sweet Cyperus. Both 

 of these sedges are very local, and rare in Britain. 

 One day we walked to Cadgewith, a little fishing 

 village a short distance from Lizard Town. The 

 heaths were in full magnificence of beauty, and on 

 all sides were masses of them. The Erica vagans 

 was, perhaps, the most abundant, but Erica tetralix, 

 Erica cinerea, and the common Ling, were all 

 growing within a short distance. On the cliffs at 

 Cadgewith we saw thousands of our old friends the 

 pretty little Autumnal Squills, the Rare Clover 

 {Trifolium Molinerii), then in seed, the Wild 

 Asparagus, with its dark-green foliage, and Butcher's 

 Broom {Ruscus aculeatus). There were several 

 other rare plants to be found in the neighbourhood 

 of the Lizard, which I was not able to gather 

 myself, some being out of season, and some not 

 coming in my way ; but through the kind assistance 

 of my botanical friend at Helston, I was able to add 

 many to my collection. Of these, I may mention 

 the following: Allium Schcenoprasum, from the Rill 

 Head, Lizard; Physospermmn Cormibiense, from 

 Bodmin ; Hairy Genista {Genista pilosa), Trifolium 

 scabrum, lllicebrum verticillatum, and Erica ciliata. 

 The following week we left the Lizard, for 

 Penzance and the Land's End, and although neither 

 of the latter places is quite equal to the Lizard 

 for botanical treasures, I never came home after 

 a day's excursion without some plant of in- 

 terest. On St. Paul's Hill, Newlyn, I found the 



palm-leaved Scrophularia, a plant much resembling 

 the Water Scrophularia, and chiefly distinguished 

 from it by the shape of its leaves. On the way to 

 Madron, Sweet Alyssum {Alyssum maritimum) was 

 growing on a stone wall, far from any human 

 habitation, in considerable quantities ; a plant much 

 cultivated in flower-gardens, and well established as 

 a weed of cultivation in this part of England. The 

 stream near Madron Well was full of the Marsh 

 Hypericum {Hypericum elodes), with its pale-yellow 

 flowers and woolly whitish stem and leaves. The 

 beach between Marazion and Penzance is well worth 

 a visit. The Horned Poppy {Glaucium luteitm) 

 there grows in great abundance. I found it a most 

 difficult plaut to press satisfactorily ; in fact, its 

 flower-petals are so fugacious that it is almost 

 impossible to bring it home if the bud is at all 

 opened. Here I found also Sea Cuticle, Sea Glaux, 

 and Ssa Spurge, all of them tolerably common 

 maritime plants, but well worthy of note by an 

 inland collector. One plant I picked on the beach I 

 was quite unable to name. It subsequently turned 

 out to be Neslia paniculata, a chance visitor to our 

 shores. 



I have now mentioned the names of most of the 

 rarer plants to be found in the Lizard and Land's 

 End district, and I think all will agree that the list 

 is a tolerably numerous one. I am quite sure no 

 lover of the works of nature could spend a fortnight 

 with greater pleasure than in this part of Eugland. 

 Neither need he have botanical tastes only ; for the 

 geologist there is an abundant field among the 

 serpentine rocks of the Lizard and the mines near 

 the Land's End. Eor the ornithologist, there are 

 many rare sea and other birds, whose habits he may 

 observe, and whose haunts he may visit. There can 

 be seen that much - persecuted bird the Cornish 

 Chough. We met with specimens on two occasions ; 

 once near Portleven, where we saw a single bird, 

 and afterwards at the Land's End, where we saw 

 two. On both occasions they flew within a few 

 yards of us. Eor those who are fond of sea-fishing, 

 let them anchor some fine evening for an hour or 

 two in Mount's Bay, with a good store of patience 

 and odoriferous herrings for bait. 



Pinner Hill, Watford. W. A. T. 



TWO MUD-LOVING FISHES. 



(An Aquarial Study of their Colour and 

 Certain Habits.) 



By Dr. C. C. Abbott. 



THERE are some fishes that always interest me, 

 wherever I may chance to see them. Even if 

 on the stalls of the fish-market, I single them out, 

 when perchance I catch a glimpse of one among the 

 piles of small fishes. Particularly is it so with the 



