298 



Mr. W. E. Lewis then said that it was quite correct that the camp was a 

 grazing farm and then a rabbit warren, before it was planted for timber by the 

 Governors of Guy's Hospital. He believed the large holes in the ground in several 

 parts of the camp were stone quarries, from which the stone was procured to liuild 

 the walls made to inclose the rabbits ; and he thought there was no doubt that the 

 portions of walls still remaining were built for this purpose. 



After some further general conversation. Dr. J. H. Wood exhibited some 

 rare orchidaceous plants that he had gathered in the parish of Canon Frome. The 

 most rare was the Cephalanthcra grandiflora, the large White Flowered Helle- 

 borine, which he found growing under beech trees, as it is apt to do. Only one 

 other locality is known in the county for this plant. Dr. Wood brought also 

 Orchis pyramidalis, the Pyramidal orchis, and the Bee orchis, both plants from a 

 limestone soil. Of much greater interest, however, for the day and for the locality, 

 the President found three fine specimens of the same Bee orchis, Ophrys apifera, 

 on one of the cornstone slopes of Aconbury Hill. The Bee orchis had not been 

 noted before as occurring in the central botanical district of the county, so the 

 "find " was good. The extraordinary resemblance of the broad lower petal of this 

 flower to a humble-bee, which seems to be sucking the nectar from the centre of 

 the blossom, always attracts general admiration. It would seem as if the bee was 

 caught and held there, and it has given rise to the following stanza : — 



Perhaps his fragrant load may bind 



His limbs ; we'll set the captive free ; 

 I sought the living bee to find, 



And found the picture of a bee. 



The President also brought some very good specimens of the Fragrant or 

 Aromatic orchis, Oymnadenia conopsea, which he had gathered in the meadows 

 below. It is a very pretty flower and beautifully scented ; nor is it very common. 



The descent of the hill on its northern side was more steep than the ascent 

 from the south, but a zigzag made it easy, and brought the explorers into the 

 excellent path from the high ground of Birch into the Wall Brook Valley, which 

 presents, as it emerges from the wood, such a picturesque view of the Church 

 and the Priory. The President made a slight divergence here to gather another 

 limestone plant, Aquilegin vulgaris, the columbine, so long a favourite with 

 cottagers, and which has of late, in the many elegant forms it has been made to 

 assume, become so fashionable and attractive in the IjOndon horticultural shows. 

 His quick eyes also detected many plants of the broad-leaved Helleborine, 

 Epipactis latifolia, not yet in flower. 



A visit was paid to St. Ann's Well, and its pure waters were very refreshing. 

 Its legend is lost, as is many another, from the much more frequent changes of 

 abode by the agricultural labourers in these days. Further up in the same field is 

 the Lady Well ; and here, said Mr. Lewis, a lady is said to have committed suicide. 

 Nobody goes for its waters as tliey do to St. Ann's, but happily the place seems 

 not to be haunted. The water is taken from St. Ann's Well to the Court, and on 

 the way there, St. Ann's Pool is passed. 



