OCCURRINa WITHIN FIVE MILES OF NEWCASTLE. 129 



£rUa7i7iica* inquiring if I could furnish him with a list of all 

 the plants growing within a circle, having Newcastle for its centre, 

 of six or eight miles in diameter. Believing that, from the botanical 

 materials in my possession, and from other sources of information 

 within my reach, I could draw up such a catalogue of Newcastle 

 plants, as would meet the wishes of Mr. Watson, I at once signified 

 my willingness to undertake the task. Considering, however, 

 the area proposed as too circumscribed, a circle, having a radius of 

 five miles, was substituted for one of four. For some years, it had 

 been my practice to enter in a note-book, the names of the species 

 of which I had collected examples, either for my own Herbarium^ 

 or for distribution among my friends and correspondents. But 

 I found, on looking over my memoranda, that no record existed 

 of numerous plants which, from their very general occurrence, could 

 scarcely be absent from our vicinity. Many of these I had, no 

 doubt, often noticed in both counties ; yet, in the absence of such 

 proofs as alone could satisfy my own mind, I saw that a personal 

 survey of the district, in question, was indispensable. Accor- 

 dingly, in the end of March last, I commenced my observa- 

 tions, my first excursion being to Heaton Dene, where I met with 

 several desiderata. It is unnecessary to mention the different 

 localities examined ; it will be sufficient to state that after many 

 pleasant rambles, in almost every direction, I had registered, at 

 various periods, nearly four hundred and fifty species and varieties. 

 The remaining species are given partly on the authority of Mr. 

 John Thornhill ; the Flora of the late Mr. Winch, in particular ; 

 the unarranged collection of the late Mr. William Robertson, 

 lately purchased by the Natural History Society of Northumber- 

 land, Durham, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne; and of the Herbarium 

 of Miss M. Hancock, t Having premised these remarks, it may be 

 proper here to exhibit, in a tabular form, the number of species, 

 in each natural order, within our limits. The nomenclature used 



* Or " British Plants and their Geographical Relations." A very valuable 

 work, of which the first two volumes have been published ; the third is in the 

 press. — March, 1852. 



t Since this was written^ Mr. Thomas Belt, a Member of our Club, has 

 favoured me with a few ailditional habitats. 

 VOL. IL PT. I. R 



