INTRODUCTION IxiX 



betwixt two showers/ are sights which invariably are recalled to the 

 mind when the district is discussed. In the late autumn of the droughty 

 year of 1893 the fields near Maple Durham looked as if covered with 

 freshly fallen snow, which a strong wind had here and there removed 

 in patches from the soil, but this effect is caused by no such inclement 

 means, but simply by the profusion of the flowers of the Corn 

 Chamomile. The red of the Poppies, the crimson of the Clover, the 

 yellow of the Mustard, and the white of the Corn Chamomile, in these 

 fields form continuous masses of colour, which are so pure in tone that 

 it would be difficult to find any eifect of the kind more beautiful in 

 any country. 



The dry Chalk district south of Lowbury is often capped with 

 Tertiary deposits, and then the grassy downs show patches of Heather. 

 To the bare downs succeed the beautiful Unwell Wood, which occupies 

 the head of a dry Chalk valley, and covers the hill which is capped 

 with Tertiary strata, and is nearly 600 feet high. Basildon Woods 

 again are of great beauty, and the flora of the upper downs and wood- 

 lands is rich and varied. 



Among the plants which have been found are Clematis Vitalha, 

 Anemone Pulsatilla, Helleborus foetidus, H. viridis, Papaver hyhridiim, Fumaria 

 densiflora, F. parvijlora, F. Vaillantii, Arahis Mrsuta, Thlaspi arvense, 

 Iberis amara. Reseda lutea, Helianthemum Chamaecistus, Viola sylvestris, 

 Polygala vulgaris, P. calcarea, Cerastium semidecandrum, C. arvense, Buda 

 rubra, Hypericum Androsaemum, H. moniaman, H. humifusum. H. pulchrian, 

 Malva moschata, Geranium pusilliim, G. columbinum, Erodium cicutarium, 

 Ilex, Euonymus, Rhamnus catharticus, Genista tinctoria, AnthylUs, Astragalus 

 glycyphxjllus, Hippocrepis, Lathyrus Aphaca, L. montaniis {Orobus tuberosus), 

 Prunus Cerasus, Spiraea Filipendula, Agrimonia odorata, Rosa tomentosa, 

 R. micrantha, Pyrus torminalis, P. Aria, P. Aucuparia, Saxifraga granulata, 

 Carum segetum, Bupleurum rotundifolium, Conium, Pimpinella major, Adoxa, 

 Galium tricorne, Asperula odorata, A. cynanchica, Valerianella olitoiia, 

 V. dentata, Solidago, Erigeron acre, Filago minima, Imda Conyza, Tanacetum, 

 Senecio sylvaticus, S. campestris, Centaurea nigra, var. decipiens, C. Cyanus, 

 Picris Hieracioides, Crepis taraxacifolia, C. biennis, Hieracium sciapliilum, 

 H. umbellatum, H. boreale, Lactuca virosa. L. muralis. Campanula glomerata, 

 C. Trachelium, Legouzia {Specularia) hybrida, Calluna, Erica cinerea, Hypopitys, 

 Lysimachia nemorum, Vinca minor, Blackstonia yChlora) perfoliata, Gentiana 

 Amarella, Erythraea Centaurium, Cynoglossum officinale, Myosotis collina. 

 M. versicolor, Atropcc, Hyoscyamus, Verbascum nigrum, Linaria repens, Veronica 

 montana, Stachijs arvensis, Lamium Galeobdolon, Teucrium Scorodonia, Plantago 

 Coronopus, Scleranthus annuus, Daphne Laureola, Thesium, Betula alba, 

 Carpinus, Fagus, Juniperus, Taxus, Neottia, Gyrostachis autumnalis, Cepha- 

 lanthera pollens, Epipactis latifolia, E. media. Orchis pyramidcdis, 0. ustulaia, 

 0. militaris, 0. Simla (very rare, if not extinct), 0. morio, Ophrys apifera. 



