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HA RD WICKE'S SCIENCE- G OS SI P. 



Getim urbanum, Epilobium obscurum, E. montanum, 

 Spergula arvensis, Pimpinella Saxifraga, Angelica 

 sylvestris, Herackwn Sphondylium, Dauais Carola, 

 Torilis Anthriscus, Sherardia arvensis, Valerianella 

 olitoria, Knautia arvensis, Scabiosa succisa, Bellis 

 perennis, Solidago Virgaurea, Anthemis nobilis, 

 Matricaria inodora, Chrysanthemum srgetum, C. 

 Leucanthemum, Tanacetum vulgare, Gnaphalium 

 icliginosum, Achillea Millefolium, Senecio aquaticus, 

 S. jfacobcea, S. vulgaris, Centaurea nigra, Carduus 

 lanccolatus, C. palustris, Lapsana communis, Hypo- 

 choeris radicata, Thrincia hirta, Spargia auiuin- 

 nalis, Leontodon Taraxacum, Sonchus oleraceiis, 

 S. asper, Crepis virens, Hieracium Pilosella, jfasione 

 montana, Calluna vulgaris, Erica einerea, E. 

 Tetralix, Chlora perfoliata, Gentiana campestris, G. 

 Amarella, Echium vulgare, Myosotis cccspitosa, M. 

 arvensis, Linaria vulgaris, Pedicularis sylvatica, 

 Euphrasia officinalis, Veronica polita, V. aivensis, 

 Calamintha officinalis, Prunella vulgaris, Galeopsis 

 Tetrahit, Stachys arvensis, Teucrium Scorodonia, 

 Iysimachia nemorum, Anagallis arvensis, Plantago 

 lanceolate, Atriplex angustifolia, Rumex crispus, 

 Polygonum avieulare, P. Persicaria, P. Hydropiper, 

 Euphorbia helioscopia, E. exigua, E. Peplus, 

 Parietaria diffusa, Eriophorum polystachion, Seirpus 

 fluitans, Holcus lanatut, Trisetum flavcscens, 

 Arrhenatherum avenaceum, Poa annuus, Serrafalcus 

 ■mollis. The number of species is 107. There has 

 been an unprecedented autumnal outburst of Char- 

 lock in stubbles, &c, all over the country. Fields 

 coloured yellow with the bloom of this weed form one 

 of the most conspicuous features in the landscape at 

 present. Has anything similar been observed in 

 England?— C. B. Moffat, Bally hy land. 



GEOLOGY, &c. 



Geology and History. — Dr. Sorby devoted about 

 seven weeks last spring to the study of East Kent by 

 land, by water, and in early and modern historical 

 writings. He was much assisted by Mr. George 

 Dowker, of Stourmouth, and other local friends, with 

 whose conclusions his own independent researches led 

 him to agree very closely. In a lecture recently 

 delivered at Firth College, Dr. Sorby described some 

 of the facts bearing on only one particular part of the 

 district. It was shown that in pre-historic times 

 there must have been a wide channel between Thanet 

 and what some classic writers call the continent of 

 Britain. Some think it was the place visited for 

 trade by the Phoenicians. In Roman times the 

 so-called Wantsum was still a most important line of 

 communication between the Straits of Dover and 

 Thanet, and the southern end must have been a 

 splendid harbour, unequalled on any part of the 

 coasts as a means of communication with the con- 



tinent. It is said that the oysters were exported to 

 Rome. The great fort of Richborough was founded 

 by Vespasian, and garrisoned by an entire legion. 

 Reculvers at the other end of the strait was occupied 

 only by a cohort. The ruins of Richborough Castle 

 are now very fine, and many most interesting objects 

 have been found both there and at Reculvers. The 

 ruined church in this latter place seems formerly to 

 have been a Roman temple or basilica. In early 

 Saxon times the harbour at Richborough must have 

 been excellent, and, both from a military and naval 

 point of view, Ebsfleet must have been unsurpassed 

 for the landing of the Invaders, as also in later times 

 for the landing of St. Augustine, the first Christian 

 missionary sent to the English. It was shown that 

 several common errors connected with the question 

 probably are due to a want of maritime knowledge on 

 the part of the writers, who overlooked the fact that 

 the ships would bring up in a place secure from 

 terrible storms and not on an open coast. In an early 

 Saxon document relating to the abbey at Minster, it 

 is curious to read of Jesus as "the new divinity of 

 the nation." During all these times no doubt great 

 changes were taking place in the harbour, but still 

 Sandwich remained the most noted port in England 

 for many hundred years, as shown by a list of the 

 great historical events connected with the town. 

 Some of the early records are very amusing, and 

 throw much light on the character of the times, such 

 as drowning criminals in a stream near the town, and 

 leaving their dead bodies to float out to sea, as best 

 they could, and punishing people for speaking dis- 

 respectfully of the clergy or the mayor's wife. Com- 

 plaints of the imperfect navigation are first met with 

 in the fifteenth century. Dutchmen were employed 

 over the harbour and marshes, and evidence of their 

 influence may be now seen in nearly every old street. 

 At the time of Henry the Eighth, the navigation had 

 become so bad that he twice came down to examine 

 the subject, and granted all the property of the three 

 churches to try to improve the river. In the reign of 

 Ann%, a commission decided that nothing could be 

 done. The cause of all these changes was shown to 

 have been a reversal of the direction in which the 

 shingle is drifted along the shore by the waves in 

 storms. In early times this was from north to south, 

 but later from south to north, thus causing the river 

 to double back in a most remarkable way. The 

 change could be explained in a very satisfactory 

 manner by supposing that, in accordance with tradi- 

 tion in early times, there existed a considerable tract 

 of land dry at high-water, where now lie the Goodwin 

 Sands, which is said to have been destroyed by the 

 sea in 1097. The depth of water up to Sandwich is 

 probably not materially less, being now enough for 

 vessels of considerable tonnage, but the channel is so 

 full of sudden bends that navigation would be almost 

 impossible without a steam tug. Even Dr. Sorby's 

 yacht, the Glimpse, required careful handling when 



