wild thyme and strawberry blossoms ; where the rabbit swings round, enjojang all the delights of " free- 

 warren," and the lark leaves her eggs to the care of the morning sunbeams, while she soars to greet them ; 

 these old sunny root-banks, for the foliage of the hoUow trimks is too thin to keep his rays from slanting 

 through, are haunted by other pretty tilings beside — the Anguis fragiUs, or blind-worm, and that most 

 delicate of lizards, Lacerta agilis, often startle us as they disappear among the fern- stems. 



A little further on, where the clay of the basin heads up the water from the higher ground, deep cool 

 habitats are formed in tliick coppice-wood, nurturing anotlier large class, those funguses which prefer 

 decaying vegetation and dank herbage to pure air and sweet breezes ; here, in warm summer days, the 

 grey-snake lies at full length, hoping you will mistake him for a dead stick, as you may ; and the adder 

 retires stealthily away from the botanizing foot, not springing at the intruder unless his escape is barred. 

 We candidly confess that, although a basket-full of treasui'es from Barnet Wood is most acceptable, we 

 would much rather receive it from other hands than seek for ourselves in that locality, for amongst all the 

 living things we love snakes are assuredly not included. 



The high grounds of the district are almost Alpine in climate, the low grounds marshy and foggy, 

 but mild in that respect ; several Phsenogamous plants are found, of wliich Yorkshire and that portion of 

 England are the usual habitats ; yet we also had, till the Covent Garden folk found them out, many 

 Orchises which delight in the warm chalk valleys of southern Kent. 



