Proceeditiffs. 79 



Wicken Fen is the only larpje piece of undrained Fen in 

 Cambridgeshire. There is still a small portion in the same 

 undrained state at Wimblingtou-in-the-Firelots, near Manea. 

 We are now on the Fen, and the first plant we shall he likely 

 to notice is Cladium Marisais: this constitutes the main part 

 of the herbage, and is cut as an uncultivated crop, and sold 

 for thatching ; formerly the fires at the colleges in Cambridge 

 used to be lighted with it, but since Burwell and Eeche Fens 

 have been drained it is rarely seen. Along with it Srhce^ius 

 n'uirimns is very abundant, and here and there small clumps 

 of ( 'nlamagrostis will be seen. 



Scattered pretty freely about will be seen the beautiful 

 metallic-blue flowers of Lath%jrus palustris, and close by 

 Peucedanum pulustre in great abundance sometimes ; in all 

 directions Valeriana dioica will be seen, and now we are 

 stopped by a dyke, and delve into it and bring up Utricularia 

 minor and U. vulgaris; and in one spot only, so far as I have 

 seen, U. neglecta ; clinging to these will probably be Chara 

 polyacantha, which is extremely abundant, quite filling up 

 some of the pools with a dense mass of vegetation. Had we 

 been earlier we should have found Viola stagnina in plenty. 

 Close by is a cross-drain, and fringing this Sium latifoUmn ; 

 Futnunndus Lingua, and Stellaria glauca abound, and on the 

 water the Water Lilies, white and yellow, with several 

 species of Potamogeton, especially P. plantagineus. On the 

 banks Lastrmi Thelypteris by hundreds, with Carex paradoxa. 

 Instead of crossing, we will follow the dyke down to the 

 drove, and fringing this, about six inches under water, we 

 shall see little rounded masses of a curious little, rare plant, 

 yitella tenuissima ; thousands might be gathered, for though 

 rare so far as regards its distribution, it is very abundant 

 where it does occur. In 1857 Senecio paludosus was found on 

 this Fen, and roots were planted in the Cambridge Botanic 

 Garden ; unfortunately they are now lost, and although I 

 have myself searched two-thirds of the Fen, and last year got 

 my friend. Dr. Leitch, to search the remainder, it has not 

 yet been refound, and I and my friends have been equally 

 unsuccessful in Norfolk and Suffolk. 



