140 



HABDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



pretty complete list. I have personally found 

 about 620 plants in the county, and there exist 

 notices relative to the occurrence of about ninety 

 others, many of which I am afraid are now extinct. 

 Among the most interesting plants may be men- 

 tioned the Cotyledon umbilicus, which still covers in 

 great profusion every wall in and about Litch- 

 borough ; Atropa Belladonna, which may be found 

 quite wild in Bedford Purlieus ; where also may be 

 gathered Convallaria majalis, Euphorbia amygda- 

 hides, Lamium galeobdolon (a not unfrequent plant 

 on stiff soil throughout the county), and Aquilegia 

 vulgaris. On Fotheringhay Castle moat sides grow 

 Ranunculus parviflorus, Hyoscyamus niger, and Ono- 

 pordon acanthium, called by the. villagers "Queen 

 Mary's Thistle." In Harleston Eirs occur Juncus 

 supinus, Hydrocotyle vulgaris, Hypericum calycinum 

 quite naturalized, H. humifusum, Ophioglossum vuU 

 gatum, Blechnum boreale, Lastrea spinulosa, dilata, 

 A. aculeatum, A. Filixfcemina, A. ruta-muraria, and 

 Adiantum nigrum, Rosa spinosissima, and Pedicu- 

 laris sylvatica. In Salcey Forest may be gathered 

 Lathyrwi sylvestris, Neottia nidus-avis, and Serra- 

 tula tinctoria. In the old Forest of Whittlewood, 

 wherever the underwood is cleared, a number of 

 specimens of Epipactis latifolius spring up. Ver- 

 bascum Thapsus and Nepeta Cataria are very common, 

 and Juncus compressus is not unfrequent near the 

 forest. On cultivated ground may be gathered the 

 pretty Anagallis ccerulea, Linaria elatine and spu- 

 ria ; the latter, in 1875, showing the peloria growth 

 almost as frequent as the ordinary flower. Inula 

 eonyza and Helminthia echioides are also frequent. 

 Near Northampton may be found Crepis taraxaci- 

 folia, Carex paludosa,v. spadicea, Spirea filipendula, 

 Polygonum bistorta, Rumex pulcher, and Artemisia 

 absinthium ; while in Yardles Chase, Paris quadri- 

 folia, Carex strigosa, Helleborus fcetidus, and Daphne 

 laureola, are not uncommon. Peterborough district 

 would well repay working, and also that portion of 

 the county drained by the Avon and Welland. 

 Henslow found the Spider Orchis at Southorpe ; 

 and Watson, in his " Cybele," mentions the occur- 

 rence of Ajuga chamcepitys, Cynoglossum montanum, 

 Teucrium scordium, and Euphorbia platyphylla in the 

 northern division of the county. — G. C. Bruce. 



The Effect of the Past Winter on Ever- 

 greens. — I have not heard how evergreens have 

 fared in other parts of the country, but at Brighton 

 their appearance has been such as to strike every 

 one with surprise and regret. The bay -trees 

 (Laurus nobilis) have still their leaves, but these, 

 with some few exceptions, are perfectly brown ; and 

 the Euonymus, the great ornament of Brighton in 

 the winter, for the most part have their leaves white 

 or light brown instead of green ; the evergreen oak 

 also, and the pretty evergreen Medicago arborea, 

 have suffered greatly. They will recover as summer 



approaches, but their growth may have been con- 

 siderably checked. Horticulturists differ in opinion 

 as to the cause of the injury. I do not remember 

 when the Euonymus, of which there are tens of 

 thousands at Brighton, was affected by the frosts 

 or the strongest winds, and the bay-tree and ever- 

 green oak have rarely suffered. Some are of opinion 

 that the mischief has been caused by the unusually 

 frequent variation from frost to rain, accompanied 

 by the most violent winds from the sea ; while 

 others think it was caused by the salt spray from 

 the sea during the storms ; but although the air, no 

 doubt during such storms, is filled with briny vapour 

 to a considerable distance, the spray itself could not 

 reach so many hundred yards. Others, again, con- 

 sider it was caused by the severe frost (ten degrees 

 below freezing) in the esrly part of March, followed 

 by a warm sun, when the sap was beginning to rise ; 

 but the plants were certainly very much cut at an 

 earlier period. It is singular that when growing 

 against a house or a wall the evergreens generally 

 have not been injured, apparently because the frosty 

 winds could not pass through the shrubs, although 

 the frost itself was equally severe. With but few 

 exceptions the young aud old plants of Euonymus 

 have suffered, but I have invariably observed that 

 the principal injury has appeared on the windward 

 side (south-west). Upon the whole, I am induced 

 to think that the first above-mentioned cause is the 

 correct one, though in many cases near the sea the 

 spray and briny liquid may have had much to do 

 with it. I fear it is hopeless to expect that any 

 precautions can guard against a recurrence of the 

 mischief in another such a winter as the past. It is 

 a curious fact that many of the plants of the Euony- 

 mus which have escaped have had their young 

 shoots actually growing with a spring-like appear- 

 ance during nearly all the winter, even very near 

 the sea, not at all affected, although in places most 

 exposed to the spray and winds. — T. B. W., Brigh- 

 ton, April, 1876. 



" Botanical Names for English Readers."— 

 It is with great pleasure that we draw the attention 

 of Ihe less scientific of our readers to this valuable 

 book. The author, Mr. Randal H. Alcock, is a 

 well-known Lancashire botanist, and comes from a 

 family of naturalists. He fully knows the difficulties 

 which artisan naturalists have t6 contend with in not 

 knowing the Latin and Greek languages, and he 

 has set himself, in a most praiseworthy spirit, to 

 the task of making things clear to them in this 

 respect. Latin and Greek arc not botany, nor 

 zoology, nor geology ; although we have seen many 

 a man smiled at for making a false accentuation of 

 words from these languages, when he was describing 

 natural phenomena with which he was intimately 

 acquainted. We are much pleased with the kindly 

 notice which the Journal of Botany gave to this 



