22 



MA RD WICKE'S SCIENCE- G OS SIP. 



ties of which are widespread, in one respect none has 

 yielded me such an amount of interest, within a 

 very narrow limit, as the district just round the small, 

 peaceful village of Crundale, which lies nestling in 

 a valley about two and a half miles east of Wye, and 

 two miles south of Chilham. The village lies, 

 as I have stated, in a valley ; one long range of 

 downs runs on its eastern side, and, on its western, 

 another range, both of which have thick woods on 

 their sides in many parts. The exact locality of 

 which I wish to speak occupies an area of very few 

 miles — merely a radius of not more than one mile 

 from the village itself, and my object for drawing atten- 

 tion to the spot is that it is one of the richest for orchids 

 which, in the small space, it has been my good fortune 

 to visit. Amongst the masses of flowers that carpet 

 the woods, Listera ovata (common wavy blade) grows 

 profusely, its long dense spike of pale greenish 

 flowers, and its two large ovate leaves, growing 

 opposite each other at a height of about four inches 

 from the ground, forming a very conspicuous object 

 amongst the tangling underwood. By its side, 

 between the bluebells and primroses, from amongst 

 the thick bed of Alercurialis perennis, I have gathered 

 quantities of Orchis inasciila (early purple orchis), 

 whose magnificent spikes of purple blossoms form 

 such an exquisite contrast of colour to all the plants 

 surrounding them. One drawback there is to this 

 plant — it has a most offensive scent. .Plentiful too is 

 the lesser butterfly orchis {Habcnaria hifolia) and the 

 spotted palmate orchis {0. macidata), the former 

 bearing a handsome lax spike of delicate yellowish 

 white blossoms — deliciously scented towards night — 

 the latter, a short dense spike of rose-coloured 

 flowers. The leaves of the latter are the handsomest 

 of all the orchids, I consider ; they are of a beautiful 

 soft tone of green, with rich deep purplish-brown 

 spots — the whole very glossy. In a sheltered hollow 

 on the downs above Crundale, on the east about a 

 quarter of a mile beyond the church, is a spot covered 

 with Orchis fusca (great dark-winged orchis), both a 

 rare and local treasure. I found two specimens of 

 the same plant on the opposite hills, but they were 

 nothing like so fine. This plant grows about 1-3 

 feet hi"h,has large oval oblong leaves, mostly radical, 

 and a short dense, obtuse spike, usually of a deep 

 maroon brown colour at the apex, where the flowers 

 are unopen. Below the flowers are a delicate 

 pale purple, sometimes almost white. Its scent 

 is something like vanilla. Ophrys apifcra (bee 

 orchis), Op/irys araiiifera (early spider orchis), and 

 Aceras anthropophora (man orchis) grow abundantly 

 on the same downs, just at the foot of the hills 

 especially. All are local and, with the exception of 

 O. apifera, not over common. Of Hcrviininm moii- 

 orchis (musk orchis) and Epipactis latifolia (broad- 

 leaved helleborine) only one specimen of each 

 has come to my hand ; the latter, though, is fairly 

 plentiful. Gymnadcnia conopsca is common. Other 

 kinds do grow there, but, as yet, I have not found 

 them. I have taken the opportunity of writing these 

 few lines in order to let those, who did know before 

 of a good orchid district, know where to hunt if they 

 wish to procure good specimens. — K. E. Styan. 



Flowers for Drawing-room and Boudoir. — 

 In the selection of vases for these rooms, those of 

 medium size should never be exceeded, unless the 

 room be of unusual proportions. We much prefer 

 vases of small dimensions for every-day use ; any vase 

 that is large enough to hold an ordinary -sized bouquet 

 bein" ample, in our opinion. On special occasions 

 those of larger size could be used, perhaps, with 

 advantage when it is desirable to congregate a larger 



quantity of flowers together. Greater variety in form 

 and material of the vases that are utilised would be 

 admissible, no two in fact need be alike in any way. 

 Many vases that would be too massive and heavy for 

 the dinner-table could be turned to a good account for 

 special occasions. For general purposes glass vases 

 will be found the best in every way. Large-sized 

 specimen glasses are very useful for sprays of Orchids, 

 or any special flowers that it is thought desirable to 

 keep by themselves. Vases of china or other heavy 

 material require greater discrimination in the selection 

 of flowers. Those in which dark shades predominate 

 should be chosen for light-coloured flowers, and vice 

 vcrsd. Take, for instance, one of the gorgeous 

 blossoms of Magnolia grandiflora ; for this a vase 

 either black or of dark colour should be chosen, whilst 

 for the Pseonias with flowers of light shades of pink 

 and rose, we would prefer a dark-blue vase. With a 

 bunch of dark-coloured roses we should seek for a 

 receptacle of pale tint. For the tea-scented roses 

 of light shades a vase of a bronzy or pale-brown colour 

 would give a good contrast. Rustic baskets look ex- 

 ceedingly pretty when not over-crowded, and are 

 suited for roses, primroses, daffodils, and anemones, 

 with other similar flowers. These baskets, too, have 

 a most pleasing effect with a few bulbs placed in them 

 during the spring-time, and some Selaginella to carpet 

 the same, or a small pot of a dwarf-growing fern placed 

 in the centre. A few roots of the primrose, or other 

 spring- flowering plants, could be chosen as a change, 

 with nice fresh moss or shoots of a small-leaved ivy 

 to entwine about the same. Those flowers which are 

 in most cases only to be had with very short stems,, 

 such as the Stephanotis and Gardenias, can be advan- 

 tageously arranged in a flat dish, placing some moss 

 in the latter with the necessary quantity of water. 

 In such dishes a few flowers of the Gardenias, and 

 the tea-scented rose Madame Falcot,'look very well, 

 each with a little of their own foliage. — From CassclVs 

 Popular Gardening for December. 



Egg-drill and Blow-pipe. — I should be much 

 obliged if any reader would tell me where I can pro- 

 cure an egg-drill and blow-pipe, such as are figured 

 in " Notes on Collecting and Preserving Natural His- 

 tory Objects." Also, is there any great advantage in. 

 covering the hole of a blown egg with paper? — K.D. 



The Mild Weather. — As evidence of the mild 

 weather which prevailed in November and December 

 last, the following list of twenty-seven wild plants 

 found in full flower on November 25th, within a short 

 walk will show : Ranwicitlus acris, L. (buttercup) ; 

 Ranunculus repens, L. ; Sisymbrium officinale, L. 

 (hedge mustard) ; Sisy/nbrium alliaria, Scop. (Jack by 

 the hedge) ; Brassica campestris, L. ; Capsella Bursa- 

 Pastoris, DC. (shepherd's purse) ; Cerastiiun triviale. 

 Link ; Stellaria media, L. (chickweed) ; Stellaria- 

 holostea, L. (stitchwort) ; Areitaria serpyllifolia, L. ; 

 Geranium dissectuin, L. ; Geranium Robcrtiaiuim, L. 

 (Herb Robert) ; Trifolium procumbens, L. ; Hedera 

 helix, L. (ivy) ; Galium aparine, L. (cleavers) ; Bellis 

 perennis, L. (daisy) ; Matricaria chamomilla, L. (wild 

 chamomile) ; Senecio vulgaris, L. (groundsel) ; 

 Taraxacum offuinalc, Wig. (dandelion) ; Sonchus. 

 oleraceus, L. ; (sow thistle) ; Hieracium murorum, L. ; 

 Hieracium sylvaticum, Sm. ; Veronica agrestis, L. ; 

 Laminum purpureum, L. (red nettle) ; Lamium album, 

 L. (white dead-nettle); Urtica dioica, L. (stinging 

 nettle); Euphorbia pephts, L. (spurge). — R. Scott. 



Nightjar. — A pair of these birds were observed 

 at Heslington, near York, as late as the third week in 

 November. One of them was picked up in the 

 garden of Heslington Hall, having almost succumbed 



