396 Native Woodcocks. — Chrysosplenium alter nifolinm. 



of birds of this species, both alive and dead, were brought to 

 the London markets during last November : all in their first 

 plumage, which is retained till the second autumn. Most of 

 these were procured on the eastern coast ; but they likewise 

 occurred on the southern, and rather plentifully in Devonshire. 



Native Woodcocks. — In reference to the remarks of W. L. 

 (p. 348), I have to observe, that it is a general law for the 

 young of migratory birds to return to the place of their nati- 

 vity : from which I inferred that the increasing number of 

 woodcocks which now propagate in Britain, is owing, — not 

 to there being more wounded birds than formerly, (which ap- 

 pears to be his apprehension of my meaning), — but to the pre- 

 sumed circumstance of our home-bred woodcocks being the 

 posterity or multiplying descendants of wounded birds in the 

 first instance, which would pass the winter further to the 

 south. — Edwd. Blyth. — June 5th, 1838. 



Observations on Chrysosplenium alternifolium. — Since the 

 publication of my 'Flora of the Neighbourhood of Reigate,' I 

 have had the gratification of seeing this rather rare species 

 growing in that neighbourhood, in greater profusion and lux- 

 uriance than I had ever before witnessed ; and having made 

 a few observations upon it, in what may truly be termed my 

 "Horce BotaniccR Subsescivce" I have here strung them to- 

 gether, in the hope that even if they offer nothing new, they 

 may at least afford a little amusement to some of the readers 

 of the ' Magazine of Natural History.' 



The locality is an alder copse, on a rich, black, boggy soil, 

 forming part of ' the Moors,' at Littleton, near Reigate Heath ; 

 Corydalis claviculata is plentiful on the trees in the northern 

 part of the copse, while Rubus idaeus and Cardamine amara 

 abound in the southern portion. This part of the copse is in- 

 tersected by a small rivulet, on the banks of which, and in 

 various other parts of the copse, are numerous large patches 

 of Chrysosplenium oppositifolium, in a very luxuriant state, 

 owing to the richness of the soil. Many of these patches are 

 thickly studded with C. alternifolium, considerably overtop- 

 ping its more common congener, and rendered very conspicu- 

 ous by the pale hue of the whole plant, but more especially 

 by the bright yellow-green colour of the upper leaves, and 

 the pale yellow flowers, contrasting with the much darker 

 green of C. oppositifolium. There is indeed a most striking 

 difference even in the colour and general aspect of the two 

 species ; but this difference is quite the reverse of what is 

 stated in both Smith's and Hooker's Floras, where oppositifo- 

 lium is said to be the paler plant, which it may be in some 

 situations. But the specific distinctions are greater than the 



