68 



HARDWICKKS SCIENCE-GOSSI P. 



long tufts of dark Polytrichum, elegant mosses of 

 transparent Mnium, and vivid Dicranum ; cushions of 

 hoary Grimmia and rare Orthotrichum on the jutting 

 rocks ; a mantle of feathery Hypnum spread over the 

 ground and rocks. The cliffs have great pendent 

 masses of the undulated foliage of Ncckera crispa and 

 its near ally coviplanata ; while a profusion of 

 Aspleniiim trichomancs fills up the clefts. A few 

 minutes' search at the foot of the slope and Ccphalan- 

 thcra ensifolia, Melica Jiniflora, and its elegant little 

 relation, nutans, J^uzula Forsteri and pilosa, Orchis 

 maadata, Listera ovata, Epipactis latifolia, Cardamine 

 impatiens, Conium, Viscum, and a host of others are 

 in my portfolio. Mounting by a steep intricate path, 

 I find the gooseberry looking indigenous, the maple, 

 cornel. Viburnum Lantana, and Opuhis ; reaching the 

 top of the Yat, the pretty J'aleriana dioica in a stream, 

 Lysimachia iicmoruin and I.uzula mullijlora ; in the 

 boggy road. Milium, Liizula maxima, and the fox- 

 glove in abundance are followed by the lady-fern, 

 Filix-mas, Orcoptcris and dilatafa, iv nudum, and the 

 oak-fern are not uncommon among the rocks. Once 

 more descending the slope, I find Ophrys apifera, 

 JIabenaria ckloraniha, Ilieraciiini borcale. Allium 

 7irsiniim, LiUiospermum atx'Oisc, Carcx rcmota, and 

 ■nuiricata. There is also plenty of Hypcriciim monta- 

 iium, hirsutum, and Androsamuni, Bromus erectus, 

 and Geranium hicidnm. Atropa belladonna still grows 

 about here, a specimen from near the Wye was 

 gathered for me by a cottager. On the Coldwell 

 Rocks, Fan's quadrifolia, mostly five-leaved, Daphne 

 laureola, Vinca nnnor, Veronica montana. Cotyledon ; 

 on a tree, Chrysospleniuni oppositijoliuni on the edge 

 of a fountain in the rock, were found, with Valeriana 

 officinalis and a plentiful growth of woodland herbs, 

 woodruff, sanicle, hemp, agrimony, speedwells, poly- 

 pody, galia in many species. By the river, Alenlha 

 rotnndifolia, Thallctrum flavum, Rhinanthus, and 

 Stellarianmbrosa ; climbing over the bushes Valeriana 

 sandnicifolia were common on the banks and in the 

 wood. On the slope opposite, Ophrys mnscifera, 

 Cldora perfoliata, Sclerochloa rigida, were yielded 

 after a little search. Space forbids me to notice 

 many interesting plants, but some idea of the abun- 

 dant flora may be gathered from the fact, that nearly 

 all the above were found within half a mile from the 

 station, and all within a mile and a half. About Ross 

 a few plants worthy of notice may be found. The 

 soapwort, Stellaria nemorum, .Egopodium podagraria, 

 Onopordum acanthium, Kanuncnlns aix'ensis,jluitans. 

 Allium compactum, QLnanthe crocata, Potamogeton 

 in numerous species with other such plants as may 

 be found on most river-banks. At Tintern, among 

 an abundant flora, Euphorbia striata takes front rank, 

 it is still plentiful both by the river and roadsides. 

 Altogether the above localities yielded nearly four 

 hundred species, omitting rubi, rasa, and numerous 

 sjiecies of Potamogeton which I have left for another 

 year. — H. IV. Monington. 



The Sunflower. — Mr. G. Wheatcroft asks you 

 about this flower turning its face to the sun. I had 

 many opportunities of watching them some years ago, 

 and my conclusions were that they did turn their 

 heads with the sunlight. The one that your 

 correspondent observed as not turning was probably 

 in the shade, as even a tree acts upon the flower and 

 stops the motion. All the light that can be got is 

 required by this flower to bring its seed to maturity, 

 and this is dependent on the light falling full on the 

 flower. It is no freak and no marvel ; it is a necessity ; 

 but man has not dived into the causes of the visible 

 actions around him. Sunlight is always with us 

 somewhere, and without it no vegetation reaches 

 perfection ; yet all grow to the light ; oats in Italian 

 cellars stretch their long white heads to the window ; 

 yew-trees on our open downs grow slender in their 

 own shade, while their foliage extends chiefly to the 

 south and east. Plants in our windows all stretch 

 their tendrils to the light, yet no two seem to accept 

 it in the same way. Colour has much to do with this, 

 aided by the constituents of the body ; all of this is 

 formed of water attracted as sap from root to highest 

 leaf, and this foliage gives the plant its body, its 

 flower, its fruit, and its seed. All is done by the 

 wondrous powers of light. The sunflower is not the 

 only one that shows its lore ; there are many that shut 

 their petals as evening draws on, and I have heard 

 tropical forests awakening with an audible murmur as 

 the rising sun fell on their resting foliage. It was 

 these visible actions that led to the publication 

 of" Sunlight," where it is treated as a motor, with 

 force enough in itself to create this earth from gaseous 

 or nebulous matter more or less sensitive in its con- 

 stituents to light, while in its whole it became the 

 heterogeneous mass we live on, accepting light as a 

 cause, and giving out warmth from that absorbed 

 light to a zone extending some four or five miles 

 above, and below the sea level. While science is 

 occupied in useless endeavours to make their ends 

 meet from the nearly ruined Nebular hj'pothesis of 

 Laplace, a few outsiders are studying nature, and are 

 coming to the true conclusion that sunlight rules this 

 world now and was the cause of its creation. Hence 

 vegetable and animal must have light. The more we 

 study the subject, the more we see of that lore which 

 dominates all the sunflower kinds. — H. P. Malet. 



Clifton Botany. — My criticism on the list of 

 Clifton plants furnished to Science Gossip by "Way- 

 farer " has been acknowledged by the author with 

 such excellent temper that I am sure he will permit 

 me to represent that " dehberately mis-stated precise 

 localities " for plants, be these correctly named or not, 

 must in effect be entirely pernicious. No useful 

 purpose can be served by publishing the most 

 pleasantly-written account of discoveries made under 

 impossible circumstances. Grabbers of rarities and 

 exterminators can be effectually baffled without 



