122 BOTANICAL RAMBLKS. 



black to snowy white. Your captive insect will be found to have undergone, 

 during the short period of its imprisonment, as great or even a greater 

 metamorphosis. Instead of the gorgeous and beautiful thing it was when 

 you captured it, you now behold it a mauled, miserable, dingy, dirty -looking 

 object, which you are fain to throw away in disgust. 



The beautiful Clouded Saffron Butterfly, (Oolias Edusa,) may be taken near 

 the sea; even on the Esplanade have I frequently seen it, where the Fern 

 Chaffer, in July, flies in such numbers as to be extremely troublesome and 

 annoying to those who chance to be promenading there, especially to ladies; 

 with whose ringlets, necks, and faces they take unwarrantable liberties. 



Brighthampton, near Witney, Oxon., April 14^/i., 18o3. 



BOTAMCAL RAMBLES 

 IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF BRIGHTON. 



NO. 1. FROM BRIGHTON TO SHOUEHAM AND ERRINGHAM. 



BY J. E. SMITH, ESQ. 



A BRIGHT sunny morning, the wind blowing steadily from the north-east, 

 and a sky without a single cloud — no uncommon event in the month of 

 March —will give us a fine opportunity for our first Botanical Stroll. We 

 cannot do better than turn our backs to the wind, and follow the Shoreham 

 road, or rather the foot-path under this warm bank, where the sun has 

 undiminished power, and the north-east wind seldom penetrates, but is whirled 

 along over the beach, to pursue its wild way across the trackless ocean. 

 Few flowers as yet dare to show themselves, although the sun has wooed 

 them for many a day to come forth from their winter chambers. But no, 

 they will not venture yet to put even the tips of their leaves outside their 

 warm coverings, and remain snugly wrapped up in their manifold winding-sheets. 

 One would almost think they heard the wind whistling, and knew that when 

 the dark night came, there would be no sun to counteract its evil influence. 



A few of the hardiest only show themselves, that seem to look out 

 pleasantly from the dusty bank, and enjoy the cheering warmth of the sun. 

 The little Daisy, (Bellis perennis,) is the boldest of them all, ever turning 

 to the sun its merry golden eye — the day's ee, as our Saxon forefathers 

 called it — and its coronet of pure white rays, like the halo of some sainted 

 maiden, glistens in the sunlight here and there, enlivening the beach, or 

 scattered sparingly on the bank. But what are those diminutive white specks 

 thickly sprinkled over the beach, rivalling the stars above them with terres- 

 trial constellations; their tiny blossoms wide open to receive the sun's genial 

 influence? They are the Common Whitlow Grass, (Draba verna,) one of 

 the earliest spring flow^ers, and belonging to the natural order Cruciferoe, or 

 Cress tribe, which includes also the Cabbage, Turnip, Mustard, Water-cress. 



