THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST 357 



GREEN LANES AND BYWAYS. 



BY REV. THOMAS W. FYLES, D.C.L., OTTAWA. 



I. 



Old Country Lanes. 



" Through the green lanes of England, a long summer day, 

 When we ivandered at will in our youth's merry May; 

 When we gathered the blooms o'er the hedge-roivs that hung. 

 Or mocked the sweet song that the nightingale sung. 



hi the autumn we knew where the blackberries greiv, 

 And the shy hazel-nuts hidden deep in the shade; 



And zvith shouting and cheer, when the Christmas dreic near, 

 In search of the ripe ruddy holly %ve stray d.'' 



These lines appeared in the "Illustrated London News" for 

 January the 24th, 1852. They are dear to my remembrance, for 

 they were sung to me by a much-loved companion — long gone to 

 his rest — as we strolled along an English lane, one day in the 

 summer, after their appearance. From this friend* I received my 

 first lessons in Entomology. 



The enclosures in the rural parts of England, by which the 

 road-ways pass, have been from times immemorial, and for the 

 most part they are known each by its proper name, as "Nether 

 lea," "Ea-side," "Haly-well Croft," Twenty acres," "Basket lot," 

 etc. The boundaries of the fields are quickset hedges, with 

 ditches on the outer sides. Six feet from the roots of a hedge was 

 allowed for the ditch. 



The original growth of the hedges was Hawthorn {Cratcegus 

 oxycantha L), but, as time passed on, birds and other agents 

 dropped seeds of many plants among the thorns. The most note- 

 worthy of the intruding growths are: Blackthorn {Prunus sphwsa). 

 Dog-rose {Rosa canina), Honeysuckle {Caprijolium perfoliatum), 

 Holly (Ilex aquifolium) , Traveller's Joy {Clematis vitalba), Elder 

 {Sambucus nigra) and Bindweed {Convolvulus sepium). 



The mud from the ditches — washings from the roads and fields 

 — is thrown up periodically to the hedge-bottoms, and the fresh 

 soil maintains the vaned growth in constant vigour. 



*Mr Edwin Tearle, in after years Rector of Stocton, in the Diocese of 

 Norwich. 



November, 1013 



