THE ESSKX FIELD CLUH. 25 1 



)ia/)iiiui)i'), and llie lowly Scull-c;ip i^Scutfllaria galeriaihla'). Tliemore interesting 

 of the water-plants may be the Great Water-Dock {^Rumex hydiolapat/iutii), the 

 Yellow-Iris, or Flag (/;/> psmdacorus^, the Great Water Plantain (^AlUma 

 plantago)^ Sagitiaria sagittifolia, with its arrowed-shaped leaves, the Flowering 

 Rush (^Butomus utnbellatus)^ with its peculiarl}' elegant and handsome rosy 

 umbels, the Bur-reed {Sparganium'), and the aromatic Sweet Flag QAcofus 

 cii/amus^ at Springfield. 



Indeed, Dr. Taj-lor added, they had noted more species than the compilers of 

 the programme had expected, and although none of the plants were rare, there 

 were man}' that were exceedingly pretty and suggestive. He had little sympathj' 

 wiih the person who studied a plant because of its rarity, which showed that it 

 had not been able to keep its place in the great battle of life, while those that 

 were common had adapted themselves to the changes going on around them. 

 lie had, in the plants on the table, so many, as it were, botanical museums — 

 many suggestive specimens about which long yarns might be told, and which by 

 their peculiarities registered their affinities, and the lines of their descent. Some 

 were armed with thorns, prickles, and hairs ; others had their leaves peculiarly 

 placed, and there were those whose leaves or roots were edible and poisonous ; 

 while, in certain instances, the plant had become wholly poisonous. A thousand 

 3-ears ago, of the collection of plants before him, those that were useful to man 

 were put down to Providence and the saints, and named accordingly ; and those 

 that were poisonous were put down to the other power. (Laughter.) Under- 

 lying the history of plants was this fact — they had not all toemarked the same 

 line ; some had fallen back, some had become rare. Believing as he did in the 

 laws of evolution, he thought there were still existing some of the primitive types 

 of vegetable life — not horse tails, but mare's tails, a true flowering plant, and it 

 was to those he referred. Dr. Taylor then took severally in hand the flowers 

 collected, and demonstrated, amid much interest, their several peculiarities, floral 

 histories, structures, and relationships. Speaking of their folklore, he said that 

 many of the traditions concerning them were the common property of Norwe- 

 gian, Danish, German, French, English, Spanish, Russian, Hungarian, and other 

 countries, and he expressed his belief that these traditions were of Aryan origin, 

 older even than the evolution of European languages, and distributed all over 

 Europe during the great Arj-an emigration. In this w'ay he connected the 

 popular names and folklore of common plants with ethnological history. 



It maj' be interesting to record the names of the plants collected, which is 

 compiled from the notes taken on the spot by Dr. Pearl, who took the greatest 

 care in identifying the species. The list will be useful to beginners as an indica- 

 tion of species to be looked for during a riverside midsummer ramble in Essex, 

 and also as showing what a rich flora the district possesses. A thorough search 

 would probably furnish a much more extensive list, including some scarce 

 species : — 



L/Sr OF PLANTS NOTED ON THE flANKS OF THE CH ELMER AND IN 

 THE NEIGHBOURING MEADOW LANDS, AUGUST St/t, iSqi. 



Thalictrum fiavum. 



Ranunculus sceleratus, 



„ repens. 



Caltha palustiis. 

 Nv.phar htteum. 

 Kymplura allui. Hypericum perforatum. 



K 2 



Nasturtium officinale. 



,, ampliihimn. 



Erysimutn cheiranthoides. 

 Brassica nigra. 

 Hellaria aquatica. 



