222 FLORA HISTORICA. 



in Westmoreland; generally in calcareous pastures." 

 We have frequently found it on the south downs of 

 Sussex and Hampshire, most generally on the north 

 side and near the foot of hills, where the soil is fre- 

 quently a mixture of clay and chalk, and of a wet 

 nature. We have also found it in plantations on 

 the downs, particularly at Stanmer, the seat of the 

 Earl of Chichester, near Brighton, where we have 

 seen more plants of this kind in a small space than 

 in any other situation. 



The Fly Ophrys did not appear in this spot until 

 the third year after the plantation had been thinned 

 of its underwood ; and it is difficult to assign a 

 reason for its abundance in a site that less than half 

 a century back was a bare down. We also found, 

 in the same situation, the Epipactis grandiflora, the 

 Epipactis, or Ophrys Nidus Avis, and the Ep. or 

 Op. ovata, all growing within a few yards together 

 with the Op. muscifera. 



That the seeds of all these species of Orchis 

 should be brought by accident to this one particu- 

 lar spot in the plantation is improbable, since none 

 of the kinds have been found growing in any other 

 part of the neighbourhood : we must therefore sur- 

 mise that they sprung from the nature of the soil, 

 assisted by the decayed vegetable matter falling 

 from the trees, which vegetated into these singular 

 plants so soon as a necessary proportion of light 



