NIDUS AVIS? 47 



William Balden.^ In this place also groweth wild the 

 thistle called Corona fratrum '. The identity of the species 

 has been the subject of speculation. The most recent 

 review of the position is that of Mr. Druce, who follows 

 Sir J. E. Smith in considering that the plant was probably 

 the Purple Broomrape {Orodancke purpurea) growing 

 parasitically upon the roots of the common Yarrow which 

 is now abundant in a locality, which Mr. Druce believes 

 that he has correctly identified with the ' field called 

 Marborne '. Townsend, on the other hand, suggests that 

 the plant was the rare Violet Helleborine, Epipactis violacea 

 Dur., which he found near Alton ; a view with which 

 Dr. Stapf agrees. In his annotated copy of Tabernaemon- 

 tanus' Icones, Goodyer has added a note and a reference to 

 the picture of Orobanche i to the effect that it is Nidics 

 Avis Lob. o. 356 or ' 86 (b. 2)', which is evidently a refer- 

 ence to Orchis abortiva violacea in Bauhin's Piriax.^ 



Although closely tied to his work and his garden during 

 the early part of the summer, Goodyer appears to have 

 paid short visits to the coast, at Haylinge on 20 August, 

 where he found Sea Heath {Frankenia laevis L.), and 

 Diotis 7naritima, which was formerly much more widely 

 distributed than it is now ; to Southsea on the 30th ; and 

 to Bursledon Ferry on 3 September. Here he saw the 

 Sea Heath in flower and described it a second time. 

 At Bellmere Pond he found a white-flowered Eyebright 

 in flower on 24 August, and at Southsea Castle he saw 

 Climbing Fumitory in flower on 30 August. 



Altogether he described at least ninety species of plants 

 during the summer, and when October brought him a 

 respite from his labours it was but natural that he should 



^ Parish Records might possibly show whether ' Balden ' is an old error for 

 Yalden, the name of Goodyer's kinsfolk. 



^ Yet another view is printed by the editors of the catalogue of the Morisotiian 

 Herbarium. The entry is ' Orobanche radice compacta major flora violaceo, 

 nobis. No specimen. In agro HatitonieJisi prope Alton oppidtan itivenit 

 D. Goodyer. This is usually referred to Limodorum abortivtim Sw., but 

 Goodyer's plant (of which no specimen is known to" exist) was probably 

 Helleborine ptirpurata Druce'. Vines and Druce, p. 173. 



