25 



dead in the bottom of the ca;^e pierced with a hole, so that it would seem the Red uv! us does make us© 

 of the bed-bug whet it cim get them I and possibly a better fed one would have had attention at once. 

 Rt'dtivi'iS: did not clothe ittselt' in captivity, though material was put in its cag^e for the purpose, and I 

 am inclined to think that thouj^h evidently not averse to such clothing, it is more an accider.tal result 

 of the hiding places it frequents in its early stages. For some seven or eight weeks it seemed to 

 thrive, became plump, and the wing cases developed, but in September it became less active, and on 

 the 27th of that month 1 found it was dead. 



On looking through the pages of the Entomological Monthly Magazine for the last 40 years, I 

 find only five or si.x notices of its occurrence, only one of them being in East Kent. Mi. Hall records 

 it tiyiiig to light at Deal and Dover some 20 years ago, of course the perfect insect. 



W. K. JEFFREY. 



BOTANICAL NOTES. 



There seems but little to report from this district; true, several specimens of the Lizard Orchis have 

 been found in East Kent during the past summer, but the pleasure of seeing this rare British 

 orchis growing was not my lot. Another orchid (which is said to be commoner in Kent than in any 

 other coimtry in England). Accras antkropophora, was seen in some numbers, one huge " Man" being 

 found near Chilham, which must have beaten the record of 112 flowers as given by Mr. Hanbury in 

 his Fiord of Kent ; it was truly a magnificent specimen, a rough estimate giving about 14^3 blossoms 

 on the spike, all mixch crowded, but well out. 1 regret not counting them accurately before sending 

 the plant off the same night to Edinburgh, where Professor Balfour had it preserved in spirit for the 

 Museum of the Eoyal Botanic Gardens. 



A further acquaintance with the Sileite growing on Dungeness beach has convinced several 

 botanists that it is a variety of S. Nutans not Silene italica of Persoon, as was supposed by the 

 authors of the Flora of Kent, at the time of its publication. 



The Verhascum Lychnitis is still fairly common at Westwell, and plenty of V. Thapsu^, but only 

 two plants of the hybrid mentioned in last year's report were found during the past summer. 



The prevalence of wet weather, as might be expected, has been more favourable for Cryptogams, 

 Fungi especially abounding. Of this last group of plants some of the rarer species have tui'ned up, such 

 as the fine Sparassis crispa, the singular little Uydunin anriscalpium and Polyporus lentvs. Many 

 species of Boletus including B. parasiticne found growing on the "Hard Puff Ball" Sehmdenna 

 vuhjnre, Dudtifia latis?ima, and the pretty " Star Puff Ball" Geaster hygrometrica, Crucibulum vHlgare^ 

 Calocera viscosa, Tremella frondosa, and others. 



Of the Ascomycetes may be mentioned the rare Torrubia capitata, Peziza reticulata, in Hothfield 

 lanes in the spring, near where the lovely P. coccinea occurs in the winter months. The almost equally 

 beautiful Peziza aurantia has been more than usually common, the large Sepultaria roronania in May 

 at Westwell together with Peziza acetahularia, and P. cochleata occurred in the Warren near Ashford. 

 The curious waxy Mitrula paludosa among wet pine leaves. Many others could be mentioned, indeed, 

 the least observant could hardly fail to notice the numerous species o( Hygrophorus in the pastures, 

 so gaily coloured, some attaining a larger size than I have seen before. 



Ashford. WILLIAM E. JEFFREY. 



In the " Alien Flora of Britain," by S. T. Dunn, Silene nutans is printed in italics. This implies 

 that this plant is probably a native of Britain, hut has been exclusively or chiefly recorded in Floras 

 in non-indigenous localities. This year I found it pretty abundantly growing among the shingle at 

 Dungeness far from houses and fields. There it seemed to me to be truly wild. The plant at 

 Dungeness is not so large or stout as the plant that grows on the cliffs at Dover. Moreover, the 

 Dungeness plant flowers later. On July lUth I found a good many plants in flower at Dungeness, 

 Next day or the day after I made careful search along the cliffs in the neighbourhood of Shake- 

 speare's Cliff, but I failed to find a single plant in flower, though I found many in seed. I may say 

 that 1 noticed this plant in flower a fortnight later at Clavadel, near Davos Platz in Switzerland, 

 The rays of the crown in the Swiss plant are longer and thinner than they are in the Dungeness- 

 plant ; but the Swiss plant is about the same size. 



In Hanbury 's "Floi-a of Kent," p. 14, it is stated that HelJehorus foetidxis is found by the road sido 

 up the chalk hill N.W. from Charing. During several years I made diligent search for this plant at 

 the above indicated locality. I was assisted on several occasions by Mi. Webb and Captain McDakin 

 and once or twice by Mr. Jeffrey, but I have never found it. Mr. Jeffrey is of opinion that it does 

 not occur there, and he doubts whether it ever did. I think it right that this should be recorded. 



The following are believed to be now habitats for the plants mentioned. The date when each 

 plant was found is stated : 



Hellehorus viridis ((ireen Hellebore), near St. Nicholas's Church, Martin Mill; June 18. 



Cnicus eriophorus ( Wooly -headed Plume-thistle), near Shepway Cross, Lyrapne ; May 4. 



Astragalus glycyphylh(s (Sweet Milk-vetch), near Shepway Cross, Lympne ; June S. 



Sidlaria idizinosa (Bog Stitchwort), Sandling Park; June JS. 



Trif'olium suhterraneum (Subterranean Clover), near Sandling Junction, abundant ; June 8. 



