A SPRINa RA.iMBLB. U9 



last year's berries still remaining on the jjlants. The Lousewort was just 

 making its appearance, and the dead spikes of the Cotton Grass {Oriophorum 

 angustifolium) were still in some places surmounted by their white plumes. 

 Towards one end of the fen a good many stunted Willow bushes are found ; 

 and on the somewhat firmer ground which immediately surrounds each 

 bush, Cladium mariseus grows. At this time, the delicate fronds of Lastrea 

 Thelypteris were just making their appearance; the drier parts were covered 

 with the Bog Myrtle, and its yellow pollen rose in clouds as we walked 

 amongst it. The botany of Roydon fen is at pi*esent rather scanty, but in 

 June it presents a very different appearance. All the varieties of Drosera 

 {rotundifoUa, longifolia, and Anglica) are there ; the beautiful little Pinguicula 

 vulgaris, Polygala vulgaris, Pyrola rotundifoUa, Narthecium Ossifragum, and 

 later, Parnassia palustris, with many others. How few know the beauty of 

 our bog plants, and yet how worthy they are of admiration. The Bog-bean, 

 Asphodel, Pyrola, Sundew, and Grass of Parnassus are scarcely known to 

 any but the botanist ; and yet there are not many plants which exceed them 

 in beauty. I generally find an impression that Cranberries grow on bushes ; 

 and few are they who are acquainted with the delicate creeping plant, and 

 elegant little flower, which produces the berry so much admired when it 

 reaches our table converted into tarts. 



We found no Lapwings on the heath, they preferring the security of the 

 enclosed waiTen ; but Snipes and Redshanks were plentiful in the fenny 

 part. The Short-eared Owl and Montagu's Harriers used to breed here, and 

 a nest is still occasionally found ; but they are all very rare. This is to be 

 attributed to the game-keeepers, who shoot them during the wintei', or as 

 soon as they make their appearance in the si)ring ; but should they then 

 escape, they are sure to fall an easy prey so soon as they have either nests 

 or young. The Wild Duck breeds here too, but is seldom met with now. 

 There is not much to be learned from the men cutting turf, with regard to 

 the birds, although they may have spent their whole lives, and those perhaps 

 long ones, on the spot; their general reply b^ing — "Why, you know sir, we 

 don't pay no attention to them 'ere things." They may be, and doubtless 

 are, possessed of much information with regard to the habits of the birds 

 frequenting the heath ; but they do not know it, and it is very difficult 

 to get at. 



We had now reached the part of the heath through which the turnpike 

 passes to Grimstone ; and after crossing this, we ascended another barren 

 hill, the chief vegetable productions of which were the Stonecrop {Sedum 

 acre) and Viola tricolor ; and, turning in the direction of North Wootton, 

 shaped our course, as neai'ly as we could guess, in a dii*ect line for the 

 Poplars on the gi-een. After walking for some time through fields, all of 

 which were under cultivation, we arrived at a belt of Fir plantation, on 

 emerging from the other side of which, a view suddenly presented itself 



