268 



particulars from crocata, independent of the emission or non-emission of the yel- 

 low or orange-coloured juice. Mr. Watson, with the best intentions, here only- 

 increases the difficulty by inquiring, in his Botanist's Guide, for apiifolia only, 

 and leaving out all mention of crocata. No light, however, is thrown upon the 

 subject by any of his correspondents, for three set the plant down without any par- 

 ticular habitat, while even the acute Mr. J. E. Bowman puts a query to his " apii- 

 folia 9" observing " I found what / take to be this on the Menai Strait, above 

 Vayrwl, and in a dingle near Beaumaris.* Since penning the above I have re- 

 ceived the second edition of Lindley's Synopsis, where, in the Supplement, the 

 following remark occurs, coinciding with the views I have taken. " In the Bri- 

 tish Flora, Dr. Hooker admits, under the name CEnanthe apiifolia, of Brotero, 

 a plant resembling CE. crocata, from which it differs, among other things, in hav- 

 ing no yellow poisonous juice : but in the third edition of that work the species 

 is abandoned, upon the ground of such juice not being constantly present in CE. 

 crocata itself. Of course, it will not constantly be present in that plant more 

 than in any thing else, inasmuch as the presence of such secretions depend upon 

 seasons and other circumstances ; but from what has been said about the supposed 

 CE. apiifolia, we recommend that plant to a new and more diligent investigation : 

 it is said to grow about Plymouth." 



On several Rumices, growing by the side of the rail-road, I noticed the Dock 

 iEcidium (2E. rubellum, Pers.) in great plenty, displaying its white clustered pseu- 

 doperidia in extreme delicacy and beauty. It is not common in fructification in 

 the midland counties, and hence Purton has figured it under the name of JE. 

 rumicis.-f 



Being anxious to investigate the vicinity of Swansea, I found it expedient to 

 proceed there by mail, which going the whole way to Milford, I found every place 

 but one engaged — that one was unfortunately inside. Little account, therefore, 

 can I give at present of the plants intermediate between Newport and Swansea, 

 except that * Cotyledon umbilicus, not noticed by Mr. Watson as inhabiting Gla- 

 morganshire, appeared very plentiful on almost every rock and wall I could 

 occasionally discern between Cardiff and Briton Ferry. At Cardiff I had an op- 

 portunity of walking round the area of the castle, and glancing at its ruined keep ; 

 when, as I was about to retire, a porter, in the livery of Lord Bute, would in- 

 sist upon conducting me into the only lion's den about the place — a square damp 

 dungeon close to the entrance, with a solitary ray of light hardly able to wind its 

 way in through a corner cranny, where he assured me Robert, Duke of Norman- 

 dy, had been confined for above twenty years ! I had forgotten all about Duke 

 Robert, and repented that I had been thus allured by my conductor, and must 



* "Watson's New Botanist's Guide to the Localities of the Rarer Plants of Britain, p. 229. 

 f Purton, Midland Flora, vol. iii., t. 26. 



