18 STRAY NOTES. 



The county is covered with Beech Hangers, and after rain it is very 

 pretty to see the little curls of mist in spiral columns, revolving themselves 

 from the leafy sea; it is these things which brings to one's eye, as it were^ 

 the constant supply and demand which is going on around us, and reminds 

 me of the first time I was in a shower; it was in Borrowdale, and I 

 had scrambled up pretty high, when the mist, in the midst of which I 

 was, became strangely agitated by contending currents of air, moisture, and 

 temperature, no doubt in action, or rather causing the movement; and all at 

 once big drops fell out of the mist, and were actually condensed all around 

 within a yard of me. The soil near Dursley is argillaceous, and the pulver- 

 ised stone, a free rubbly one not unlike that found at Selborne, Hampshire; 

 when moistened is very like potter's clay, and gets soapy and slippery, so 

 that good ladies hereabouts mount on pattens, and so throw oflF their 

 allegiance to thick shoes, whilst the gentry come out in steel-pegged boots^ 

 as the only means of keeping themselves upright. The pasture, however, 

 for it is a verdant valley, is exceedingly rich — the finest grazing county 

 in England I should think; and the hedges teem with Scolopendria, which 

 in some localities, I am told, are as thick and high as to be a good cover 

 for game. I brought a glorious basket-full, and they quite seem to luxuriate 

 in the change of air, having never missed the moving, and looking as green 

 and flourishing as ever. In the immediate neighbourhood of my residence, 

 (Bagshot Heath,) although we are rich in Filices, we have no Scolopen- 

 dria, although they are found about ten miles off, beyond Windsor, so 

 that I was rather surprised the other day to find two delicate plants of 

 the common kind, ( Vulgare,) growing in ,'a little air-shaft, leading from 

 a cellar in the village; I had heard of it, and went to ascertain the fact^ 

 and, sure enough, there they were, one above the other, clinging to the 

 wall quite a picture, but, notwithstanding, I bore off the prize, and put 

 it in our ^^rock." They grew on the bare bricks, with no more earth than 

 creeping mosses usually find; but this is a digression, for I had another 

 try when in Gloucestershire, to bring away a Cistopteris Fragilis, but al- 

 though I took great pains, and moved it with plenty of earth, as I thought, 

 it became speedily defunct, and I failed therefore to preserve it; but I 

 shall not be disheartened, as I know a lady who brought one successfully 

 from the Pyrenees. There appears to me to be three distinct species of 

 Scolopendria growing near Dursley, the common, a light green and narrower 

 one, and a smaller broad-leaved one, that is the 8. vulgare, the S. Gris- 

 pum, and the S. AngustifoUum, at least they seem to answer to the plants 

 go named by Mr. Moore. I likewise, found the Asplenium thelypteris in 

 fine growth, but I had enough luggage, and doubted that it would come 

 safely, so it still flourishes outside the garden -wall where I discovered it. 

 I think these are all the observations I was led to make of this district. 



