Field Meetings, 1910. 229 
and had the insects in full view under a strong lens for some 
time. I have watched insects visiting plants ever since the 
hot summer 1868, but I never remember seeing such a voracious 
struggle before. Victor and victim were both thickly covered 
with the pollen they were scattering on all sides in their struggles. 
After the fight was over the fly was rapidly consumed by its 
adversary. The subject of insect visitors to plants requires much 
more detailed work than it has ever yet received from any 
naturalist. The specimens should be preserved like shells in 
separate tubes just as taken from the flowers. 
The most striking fact of this visit is the ash and oak holt on 
the peat and fresh water alluvium of Aylesby Beck. The oak 
found there is natural enough in such circumstances. The 
ash, on the other hand, is quite out of place, and no doubt was 
planted there between 40 and 50 years ago. On pure fenland 
peat, slightly limy-water peat, the ash is practically unknown. 
On mixtures of peat and its subsoil, such as Oxford clay, it grows 
fairly well when planted, but never naturally. The wood from 
such places is of little value. Along the Aylesby Beck peat the 
cause of its successful growth is the heavily charged lime water 
from the blow wells of the bog. Ivis pseudacorus, which is 
especially a lime-shore water loving plant, was in the wood, but I 
noticed no young ashes on the peat, though there were a few on 
the pure fresh water alluvium. I saw no Evice or Calluna ; 
perhaps where they cannot grow, ash can do fairly well even on 
peat. 
The best species taken and a new record for North Lincoln- 
shire was Cardamine amara, L. I have had many a talk with the 
late John Cordeaux about its absence from the northern part of 
this county. It is curious he never observed it. I can only 
suppose at the time it is in flower, shooting is over, and he was 
busily engaged with his beloved migrants, and so never visited 
this ground at the right season. Menyanthes and Parnasia are still 
_ found in the bog, with Cavex pulicaris, C. binervis, and Orchis latifolia. 
Just beyond in a marshy field Pediculavis sylvatica and Stellaria 
_ wliginosa were conspicuous. I never saw larger specimens of the 
% 
‘ 
former. Stellaria Holostea and Listera ovata were both in evidence 
on the wood edge. Epipactis palustris, as Cordeaux says, ‘ is gone for 
