BOTANY OF CHEADLE, STAFFORDSHIRE. 73 



polystachion ? (I cannot affect to be able satisfactorily to dis- 

 tinguish the latter species from angustifolium) and vaginatum, 

 Oxy coccus palustris and Viola palustris are found. Vaccinium 

 Vitis Idea is tolerably abundant, and Vac. Myrtillus extremely 

 so, as already mentioned ; the fruit of the bilberry when ripe is 

 gathered by the poor, and carried to the neighbouring mar- 

 kets ; mixed with currants, or even by themselves, they form 

 a very palatable tart. The wood-pigeon also feeds upon 

 them, and on account of the peculiar flavour which its flesh 

 then acquires, this bird is considered excellent eating during 

 the bilberry season ' hoe ? 



The principal plants which occur in boggy situations are 

 Hydrocotyle, Viola palustris, Drosera rotundifolia and longi- 

 folia, Menyanthes trifoliata, Narthecium ossifragum, and, in 

 elevated positions, as about Cotton and Whiston, Parnassia 

 palustris in abundance, but, as Mr. Luxford remarks in the 

 November number of this Magazine, always confined to li- 

 mited spots, hti&moi bm 



There is a ridge of limestone hills, — the Wever Hills, — 

 on which some rather uncommon plants are met with ; among 

 them may be enumerated 1 )r aba mur alls, Spiraea JUipendula, 

 Lathrceasquamaria (near the lime-kiln), Arabis hirsuta, Tri- 

 folium striatum, Primula elatior, Spergula nodosa, Arenaria 

 tenuifolia, Carduus nutans, Asplenium Rut a-mur aria and 

 Asp: Trichomanes, and the common limestone plants Helian- 

 themum vulgar e, Poterium Sanguisorba, Saxifraga tridacty- 

 lites, &c. Several species of land shells also occur abun- 

 dantly ; as Helix crystallina, pulchella, rupestris, (in the 

 crevices of the rocks) ; Pupa umbilicata, Clansilia rugosa, 

 and a variety something similar to CI. dubia. In a pasture 

 on the same range of hills, near the Three Lows toll-gate, 

 Gentiana campestris grows plentifully, in company with Pla- 

 tanthera viridis, which latter plant is rather common in 

 gravelly pastures. On the right hand side of the road leading 

 from the toll-gate above spoken of, to the village of Oaka- 

 moor, is a lovely romantic ravine, which will well repay the 

 naturalist for his researches. The sides are rugged and steep, 

 but wooded, and on them are found Pyrola minor, Luziila. 

 sylvatica, pilosa, and congesta, Polypodium Dryopteris, Hie- 

 raciwn sylvaticum and umbellatum : I was also highly de- 

 lighted to discover, by the side of a stream which runs along 

 the bosom of the valley, Valeriana Pyrenaica, growing in 

 tolerable abundance ; it occurred for a considerable distance 

 up the stream, but was out of flower, (August 5th). I have 

 not been able to find any recorded English habitat for this 

 plant ; it is, I am aware, considered as one of our certainly- 

 Vol. III.— No. 26, n. s. H 



