119 



THE foregoing pages have amply demonstrated the Great Wealth 

 of the Rochester District in Animal and Vegetable Life 

 although so small a number of groups have been dealt with. 



Of the flora, the list herein given is almost exclusively confined 

 to the Flowering Plants, the extensive groups of Mosses, Algae, Fungi, 

 and Lichens not being touched upon. The number of species and 

 varieties belonging to these several groups and occurring in Kent, 

 is thus given in " The Victoria History of the Counties of England " 

 (vol. i). Mosses 318, with 55 Scale Mosses ; Algae (Fresh Water) 119 ; 

 Fungi 778 ; Lichens 239. Of these numbers one would expect to find 

 in this District something nearly approaching 50%. 



Of the Fauna also numerous groups have here been undealt with 

 because no reliable lists have been worked out. The Diptera (Two- 

 winged Flies) have as yet received but little attention even for the 

 County as is evidenced by the fact that while 2,800 have been listed 

 for Great Britian, only 350 are recorded as occurring in Kent. Here 

 is therefore a splendid field for the labours of some young Rochester 

 Naturalist or Naturalists. A fairly exhaustive search of the Rochester 

 District would doubtless produce a list more than double that known 

 for the whole County. The same remark applies to the Spiders, 534 

 being recorded for Britain, and only 122 for Kent. Mr. W. Coles- 

 Finch has done much to popularise this branch (see R.N. vol. 6., pages 

 I ID, 121, 137, and 15:^), and could he be persuaded to turn his indomitable 

 energy and enthusiasm in this direction, a list of more than double 

 that of the present list for the County could easily be produced. 

 Equally unworked in this district are the Orthoptera (Earwigs, 

 Grasshoppers, .etc.,) though Kent has a longer list of these (33) 

 than any other English county except Hampshire ; the Neuroptera 

 (Dragon Flies, etc.) ; the Hymeiioptera (Bees, Wasps, Ants, 

 etc.) ; the Hemiptera (Bugs, Frog-hoppers, Aphides, etc.) ; the 

 long roll of Micro -lepidoptera (small Moths and Butterflies), 

 and other branches. These subjects have not been utterly 

 overlooked in the district, but have not been systematically worked 

 in such an exhaustive style as to furnish anything like complete lists 

 showing its wonderful richness in organic life. 



It should be the future endeavour of " The Rochester Naturalists' 

 Club " and of individual workers to fill up these gaps in our knowledge, 

 and to show that there is no district that will better than Rochester 

 repay the visit of the professed Naturalist or the general lover of 

 nature. 



