55 



time in England, in the Grand Junction Canal, near Market 

 Harborough ; afterwards in nearly ever)? stream in the country. 

 Dire were the prognostications about it : soon would all our lakes 

 be a mass of green weed through which no boat could be pulled; 

 our rivers choked with it, and our ponds but mud-holes. Like 

 many another Yankee scare, it has had its day. Though I believe 

 the sports on Talkin Tarn were stopped through it one year, if not 

 more. I remember in February, 1S73, coming round by the north 

 end of the tarn, where there was a bank of this weed, blown up by 

 a severe gale some time before, six or seven feet high, and ten or 

 eleven broad at the base. 



In the Alismacete, Alisma plantago is common in the ditches 

 about Kingmoor, Rickerby, etc., and A. ranunculoideHm Monkhill 

 Lough. The very handsome and stately Butomus umbellaius, is 

 found in Brunstock Beck, and Triglochin palustre grows at Cum- 

 mersdale. 



The various species of Pondweeds have not yet been worked 

 out, though I expect we shall be pretty strong in them from what 

 I already know. Belonging to the order Arace.e is Armn macu- 

 latum, which grows on Davidson's Banks, and not again, I think, 

 till you come near Wetheral. In Westmorland I have seen 

 children using the purple spadix for ear-rings. The most curious 

 thing about the Arum is the method adopted by it to ensure 

 crossing. At the point where the spathe is constricted, there is a 

 ring of hairs so arranged that insects can creep into the hollow 

 below, but can't get out again until these hairs wither, which they 

 do when the pollen is ripe and discharged from the anthers. 

 These insects get dusted with the pollen, and then are allowed to 

 go, carrying the pollen to other flowers, whose pistils are ready to 

 receive it; if fertilization takes place. Acorus calamus is found 

 in only one place that I know in this district — Stonebrigglees. 

 Sparganium ramosum and S. simplex are common in many pools. 

 TypKa latifolia is found at Moss Pool, and near Cotehill. 



The last wild flower I have anything to say about belongs to the 

 JUNCACE.t, and a very pretty and sweet-scented one it is, the 



