HARD WICKE 'S S CIENCE - G SSIP. 



Veronica Biixbaitwii were common, and along the 

 margins of the cliffs, Potetium Sangiiisorba, both 

 Resedas, Sclerochloa rigida, and Smyrnium Olusatrum. 



At Pegwell Bay, two miles below Ramsgate, the 

 chalk cliffs disappear, and a low-lying, somewhat 

 marshy-looking comitry succeeds, which extends in- 

 land and is watered by the Stour. In the distance 

 towards Deal the country is again hilly. Along the 

 bay runs a road vid Sandwich to this port. Left of it 

 is a narrow stretch of sand and gravel and grassy flats, 

 overflown by the sea at times ; right of the road are 

 marshy well-drained pastures, upon which feed count- 

 less herds of cattle and sheep innumerable. The 

 undermentioned plants grow here, in addition to others 

 of ordinary occurrence. Cliffs about Pegwell :— 

 FiT!iicidiii>i vidga)r, Smyi-niiiiii Ohtsairiivi. By the 

 shore : — Artemisia maritima, Ar?neria viaritima 

 (flowers in bud), Airaflexuosa, Beta maritima, Carex 

 arcnaria, C. divisa, CocJdeaiia officinalis, EiyngiiDii 

 maritimuui (not in flower), Mcdicago minima, 

 Phleum arenarinin, Psamma arennria (not in 

 flower), Plantago maritima, Trifoliiiiii scahriim, 

 Triglochin maritimiim. Ditches in the marshes : — 

 Apiimi graveolens, Hydrocharis morsiis-ranic (not in 

 flower), Mcnyanthes trifoliata, Phragmites conimnjiis 

 (not in flower). 



At Sandwich, near the Custom-house, grows Poly- 

 pog07i monspclliensis, but it was too early in the season 

 to look for this with any prospect of success. 



Ramsgate is much exposed to the north-east winds, 

 from which there is little protection ; Dover, on the 

 contrary, although on the same line of coast, lies 

 snugly sheltered from rude Boreas by chalk cliffs 

 rising to treble the height of those about Ramsgate.* 



The town lies at the foot of these cliffs and in a 

 gorge extending westwards. A pebbly beach and 

 perpendicular cliffs washed by the sea at high 

 water, with here and there a small sandy bay, 

 characterize the coast : inland are chalky downs, hill 

 and dale, well cultivated for the most part, and 

 varied in manyj places by patches of wood. On 

 the cliffs and downs : — Anthyllis zndncraria, Arabis 

 hirsuta (by Biggles's Tower), Avena pubescens, Bras- 

 sica oleracea. Beta maritima, Cheiranthtis Chciri, 

 Cistus Helianthemiim, Carex glatica, Chlora pe?-- 

 foliata, CHthmum maritimnni (not in flower), 

 Crambe maritima (below Abbot's Cliff), Carlina vul- 

 garis, Diplotaxis teniiifolia. Euphorbia Cyparissiiis 

 (slope near Biggles's Tower), Glaucium cornicidatuvi 

 (shore below Abbot's Cliff), Hippocnpis comosa, 

 Hippophae rhamnoides (below Abbot's Cliff), Iris fa- 

 tidissima (below Abbot's Cliff), Ka:leiia. cristata, 

 Ophrys aranifera (Abbot's Cliff and elsewhere, — fre- 

 quent), Orobanche major (below Abbot's Clift), Orchis 



* Life enough here, in season or out of season ; what with 

 the coming and going of steamers, the marching and counter- 

 marching of troops, the military bands, the bustle and salute- 

 firings attendant on the arrival and departure of august person- 

 ages, there is always something or other going on ; but " high 

 jinks " there are none ; the place is, as a worthy tradesman of 

 our acquaintance informed us, "so awful respectable." 



ustidata (slope north of the Castle), Rubia pcregrina 

 (below Abbot's Cliff, — not in flower), Silene mdans 

 (abundant ; and other common plants of the chalk for- 

 mation), Echinm, Limim catharticiim, Szc. By the 

 steam above river, Mentha sylvestris. 



Towards Folkestone, at the base of the cliffs, 

 is some wild broken ground : here Cynoglossiim 

 officinale. Lithospernmvi officinale, Hippophae rham- 

 noides, Mentha rotiindifolia (by a pond), (ic. Fields 

 and waysides about : — Bnnium Jlexnosnm (near 

 Hougham), Scaiidix pecten-Venei-is, Lepidium Draba 

 (scarce), Lithospernuim arvense, Papaver Argemoiie 

 (pasture St. Radigund's Abbey), Carex pra:cox. 

 Copses in that direction : — Asperula odorata, Habe- 

 naria bifolia. Iris fa:tidissima , Listera ovata, Laviinm 

 galeobdolon, Milium effitsum, Neottia nidus-avis. 

 Orchis milita?-is, var./usca (plentiful). Orchis mascula, 

 macidata, Sedtctn Telephtim (not in flower). Hedges 

 in the lanes, &c. : — N'ephi-odiun Filix-mas, Scolopen- 

 drium vtdgare, Aspidiiim acideatum. St. Margaret's 

 Bay : — Brassica oleracea, Arabis hiisitta, Crithmum 

 maritimtan (not in flower), Glaucium corniculatum, 

 Ophrys aranifera (cliffs about), Silene nutans. 



Within a mile or so of Folkestone the high chalk 

 hills by the sea-coast bend to the right, and are con- 

 tinued westwards. The low cliffs about the town 

 here are composed of blue clay : their elevation 

 does not exceed two hundred feet. On and above 

 these, Armeria maritima (in profusion), Carex arc- 

 naria (occasionally), Psamtna arcnaria (foot of the 

 cliffs), Sinapis nigra. 



About Faversham the country is somewhat flat, 

 and a salt-water creek comes up to the town, where, 

 in addition to plants common to similar localities, we 

 dhsQywcA Alliicm oleraceunt, Armeria maritima, Obione 

 portulaeoides, Peucedanum officinale (plentiful, flowers 

 budding), Trifolium maritimum. Ditches in the flats 

 by the creek : — Hippuris vulgaris, Schlerochloa pro- 

 ciuidiens, &c.* 



A GOSSIP ABOUT NEW BOOKS. 



IT is only within the last twenty years that it has 

 been found jDossible to construct a philosophy of 

 natural history. The views of Mr. Darwin and his 

 school have undoubtedly laid the foundations, and its 

 practical use is seen in the suggestive way in which 

 new lines of research are being opened out. The 

 natural sciences are in such a state that almost every 

 month fresh light is thrown on old relationships by 



* Spartina sfricta grows about the mouth of the creek, but 

 some distance from the town. The archsologist will find, both 

 at Dover and in the neighbourhood, several interesting archi- 

 tectural remains in a good state of preservation ; no part of the 

 country is more prolific in this respect. The church tower of 

 St. Mary the Virgin, Sa,\on ; the church of St. Margaret, one 

 of the finest specimens of the early Norman style e.xtant ; those 

 at Barfreston and Patri.x bourne, well worth a visit, both of them, 

 for their singular and beautiful perches ; with many others ; to 

 say nothing of Canterbury Cathedral, a medley of ancient 

 styles in itself On an old wall near St. Martin's Church, 

 grows Fcstiica psciido-myurus. 



