18 



FOSSILS. 



Mr. Otte produced a small slab containing a specimen of graptolite— the 

 skeleton of a fish resembling the pen-fish of the tropics — from the Woolhope 

 Limestone. 



A remarkably perfect specimen of the trilobite, called Bumastus Barriensis, 

 coiled up like a hedgehog, which had been lent by Mr. Hodges, of Ledbury, was 

 produced, and excited much interest. The thanks of the Club were voted for the 

 loan of this valuable specimen. 



BOTANICAL REPORT. 



By Dr. H. G. Bull. 



The President then read Dr. Bull's Report of the Botanical Observations 

 made during the former excursion. Having briefly described the visit to Stoke 

 Edith Gardens, the Report noticed that in proceeding through the park to the 

 landslip, the Orchis Morio, Saxifraga granulata, Pteris aquilina, Chenopodium 

 Bonus Henricus, Potentilla verna, and many other common plants were gathered. 

 On descending the hill, the party found the Helleborus foetidus in two situations, 

 apparently indigenous. After crossing the Pentelow Brook, they found the 

 Aquilegia vulgaris, Viburnum Lantana, Viola hirta (in seed), Habenaria bifolia 

 (probably H. chlorantha, but the flower had not yet opened), and occasional trees 

 of Pyrus torminalis. On the Wenlock Limestone, around tlie rubbish from the 

 lime-kilns, were Cynoglossum officinale, Lithospermum officinale, &c. ; while the 

 luxuriant foliage of the Clematis Vitalba, covering the hedge, and the fresh green 

 plants of Dipsacus sylvestris attracted attention. The report then proceeds : — 

 Descending the Wenlock ridge, through the quarries on to the Wenlock shale, 

 the Valeriana dioica, Convallaria majalis, Paris quadrifolia, Allium ursinum, 

 Listera ovata, were found growing plenteously ; there were some plants of 

 Daphne Laureola ; and here, too, was gathered Luzula Boreri, probably not 

 uncommon, though as yet but little known. The Luzula sylvatica, so common in 

 the south and other parts of the county, was not once noticed. The Epipactis 

 ensifolia grows freely amongst the underwood on the Caradoc Sandstone, but its 

 locality is very limited in extent ; upwards of thirty plants were observed in 1851, 

 all growing on the right hand side of the high road leading to Woolhope, just 

 below the brow of the hill in the Haugh Wood. The locality is about fifty yards in 

 length, and does not extend above ten or twelve yards into the wood. P.S., June 

 9th, 1852. The plants are still more numerous this year, and a little more spread 

 out ; nearly 300 were in flower, and two or three were observed on the left-hand 

 side of the road. At the foot of the hill at the ^village of Mordiford, the 

 Helianthemum vulgare grew freely on the south bank ; and on a bank on the 

 opposite side of the road, on the roots of the Acer campestris, grew the parasite, 

 Lathrsea Squamaria, now in seed, but always interesting from its peculiarities. 



The general botanical character of the district is wooded, the slopes and 

 ridges being covered with underwood, consisting for the most part of oak, ash, 

 hazel, dogwood, meal-trees, elder, blackthorn, hawthorn, &c., cut at regular 



