26 



NOTES ON THE BOTANY OF THE ISLE OF THANUT FOR 1903- 



The most important eveat of the year was the appearince in April of a new " List of Thanet 

 Plants," which was compiled and privately circulated by Dr. Pittock, of Margate. It contains the 

 names of 56.5 species of phcenogams, and is based on a list published by .Mr. Flower in 1847, with 111 



additions. . .,,,,, 



Since the advent of the list 33 more alien and native plants have been seen growing in the Islands, 

 among the latter Fumaria pallidifiora, noted in the Flora of Kent as having been " only once found," 

 Vicia'hyhrida and Lathyrus hirsuius, both very rare, and Orobanche myor and minor. 



The aliens found and identified by experts are as iMows:—Nesliapaniculta,Lepidium virginimm. 

 Sisymbrium pannonicum, Melilotus pari'iflora, Lythrum grcefferi, Echinnspermum lappula, Amaranthus 

 retroflexus, Ambrosia trifida, Coronilla varia, Medicago scutellata, Erigeron canadense, Asphodelus 

 racemosus' Asphoddus fistulosus, Panicum miliaceum, Hetaria glauca, Hordeum jubatum, Digiiaria 

 sanguinalis, and Eragrostis major.. 



Some very remarkable instances of vivapiry were seen and studied on Trifolium repcns, white 

 clover, which was growing luxuriantly on a piece of waste land near Eamsgate. The specimens were 

 described by Mr. Griffin elsewhere as follows : — " The ihfJoresoences are composed of young plants 

 instead of flowers, these have well developed trifoliate leaves, and io one instance where the head is 

 composed of young plants one of the latter has advanced sufficiently to form a running stem of two 

 nodes and internodes, with leaves and stipules at each node. If the plant had remained in its place 

 probably the increasing weight of the young plants would have bent the head sufficiently for them 

 to touch the earth, and then they would have put forth roots at the nodes and in due time have 

 established an independent existence." 



Mr. Griffin goes on to say that " Qualified observers hive shown that where this form of vivipar- 

 ousness in plants occurs it is due to unfavourable conditions, most frequently in plants growing in a 

 locality where there are no insects to effect pollination or where they are overshaded or the summer 

 season is too short to permit seed to be produced and ripened in the usual way." 



The above conditioas were, however, altogether wanting in this case ; the plants were growing 

 quite out in the open, with not a tree near, and on fertile land where every plant was rampant. The 

 plants were exceptionally vigorous, as plants always are in this i.^land when we get an excessive rain- 

 fall, and one could not help feeling that the abnormal growth was entirely due to repletion and not 

 starvation, and that in the exuberance of its strength it felt itself capable of taking a short cut to 

 reproduction viviparously, instead of by the usual lengthy method of seed formation. 



F. HEWETr, 



16, St. John's Road, Margate. 

 November I, 190.3. 



NATURE NOTES, PRINCIPALLY BOTANICAL FOR 1903. 



I have very great pleasure in being able to record the fact that the Lizard Orchis, which was 

 discovered in 1898 near Wye, blossomed again this jear, after taking a two years' rest. I have been 

 particularly struck with the greit number of both rare and alien plants which I have come across. 

 On several occasions, when out with Mr. W. R. Jeffrey, I should think we saw more Late Spiders, 

 Musk Orchids and Polygala Austrisca than ever botanist saw before at one time, and in the autumn 

 near Sandwich I ran against Atriplex Pedunculata, in quantity a hundred times greater than I have 

 ever seen it- last year 1 had great difficulty in finding any plants. Perhaps the most important of 

 my finds was that of Teucrium Botrys, at Gndmer=ham, a ra.e plant, only once before recorded for Kent. 



I also saw some of the rare plants growing in Thanet, which are recorded in Mr. Hewett s list, 

 Vicia hybrida is very rare. Babington only records it from Glastonbury Tor Hill ; even there it is now 

 said to be extinct, but it flourishes grandly near Ramsgate. Lathyrus Hirsutus I also saw, close by 

 the above vetch ; it too is rare, and has only been reported from two other counties. 



A ramble ovtr the picturesque Warren near Folkestone yielded disappointing results, the rough 

 parts between the sea and the railway having been made accessible to all by means of good footpaths, 

 the consequences have been disastrous botanically. I could find no traces there of either the La,t6 

 Spider Ophrys, nor yet of Orobanche Caryophyllacea, neither was the bee so plentiful as formerly. 

 Geranium Pratense, however, still flouiishes among the rough brambles, and the alien, Bunias 

 Orientalis, I found still growing on the same spot as J saw it two years ago. Most of the orchids 

 were as plentiful as usual in unfrequented places about the country, but Lady s tresses this 

 Autumn were either taking a rest or objected to coming out in the wet and cold. ,.,.•.■ 



By some people our Kentish birds are thought to be on the decrease, but I do not find that it is 

 so in very many case--. Rooks, jackdaws, and starlings are certainly on the increase, and the latter 

 have lately acqubed the objectionable habit of attacking the newly-sown wheat fields. On pasture 

 lands I believe starlings to be our most useful birds. Jays and magpies have increased in those 

 districts where "ame preserving is not carried out so extensively as formerly. I often wonder why 



