54 



ance, as it fringes the foot-path ; just as if some large packet of the seed had been 

 at some period carried along the path, and its contents allowed to sift out on 

 either hand. But yet again, the plant not only exists in these Sollers Hope 

 meadows, but in several other meadows between this station and Woolhope ; 

 meadows in which it is scattered imiformly and in tolerable abundance in the 

 turf, much as the common Earth-nut (Sunium Jicxuosum), which it nearly re- 

 sembles, would be. In point of geographical range, the Caraway is scattered 

 throughout Europe, and is abundant in the European countries lying both to the 

 north and south of us. Its geographical and climatic range therefore offer nothing 

 to oppose the a priori expectation that it would be a native of Britain. The exist- 

 ence of only one or two other districts in which it occurred after the manner it 

 does in the WooJhope District of Herefordshire would make its indigenousness 

 the easiest explanation of its being where it is. But in the absence of such 

 evidence, can it have been purposely sown in this district ? 



Here I come to the end of my ramble. Sufficient has been said to show you 

 that Caplar, though not supporting a rich flora, yet affords— as I suppose every 

 district would — abundance to interest one who greets plants with the affection of 

 old friends, and who loves to ask them questions as some of the great secret- 

 holders of Nature. 



P.S. — An hour after reading the above paper, I had an interesting proof that 

 the botanical resources of Caplar and its neighbourhood are by no means 

 exhausted, by making the pleasant discovery of the Wood Chickweed 

 (Stcllaria neniorum) in Carey woods. It occurred in two spots in fair 

 plenty upon the wooded bank of the river a short distance below Caplar 

 hill. This is a wide spread plant in the north of England and Scotland, but 

 becomes rare in the English midlands and lowlands. In Herefordshire, 

 where we are nearly upon its southern limit, it is extremely rare ; having 

 only been found previously by the Rev. Sir George Cornewall at Moccas — 

 there, too, in a wood over-hanging the Wye. There is just a chance that in 

 both instances the plant has originally been brought dovpn from Wales by 

 the river floods, but it is, I think, more likely to be a true native in its 

 Herefordshire stations. 



