146 THE EFFECT OF DRY WEATHER UPON WATER PLANTS. 
many small sheets of water, locally called ‘‘ meres.” Oakmere is 
one of the largest of them, being about three-quarters of a mile 
long. It is surrounded by peat bogs and low heathery hills 
almost destitute of trees, except at one end where there are dark 
firwoods—altogether a wild, weird place, where you would not 
be the least surprised to see strange antediluvian animals roam- 
ing about. Oakmere, however, is celebrated as being the only 
English habitat of the very rare lesser small-reed, Calamagrostis 
stricta, and it was chiefly to collect this pretty grass that we 
went. A year before I had found it growing sparingly at the 
edge of the water, but on that day we saw it in great profusion 
and luxuriance, growing where it was quite dry enough to walk, 
but where in ordinary seasons there must have been a very wet 
swamp. The mere was at least a yard lower than usual, and the 
water, always shallow near the edge, had receded to a consi- 
derable distance, leaving a shore of soft oozy mud with here and 
there a pool of dirty, stagnant water. Here, however, on this 
mud, we saw the effect of the dry weather on aquatic plants ; 
for it was almost covered with a luxuriant growth of Pond-weed 
(Potamogeton natans), throwing up beautiful, shining, almost erect 
leaves and a profusion of flowers. The Water-lilies too were 
equally fine; their glossy leaves standing upon short stalks and 
forming quite a jungle. I have noted this fact before as regards 
Water-lilies in very dry seasons. 
Presently we came upon great patches of Sundew, both Drosera 
Anglica and D. rotundifolia, growing upon what ought to have 
been bog, but was now nearly dry and somewhat sandy land. 
The beautiful pink, jewelled leaves formed quite large rosettes 
and the flowers were borne on stalks six inches high. I think 
they were the finest Sundews I have ever seen. I suspect, how- 
ever, that something besides the dry weather may have influenced 
their growth, for on our peat bogs, where they are very common 
plants,—none the less charming for that however,—they grow in 
various situations,—down in the wet ditches and up amongst the 
Heather and Andromeda, but I have always found them much 
the finest in the wetter places, sometimes even perched amongst 
