153 



bird, such as the rivers Monnow anrl Dore, and their tributary brooks In South 

 Devon the grev wagtail quits the streams of the lower country, in order to breed 

 among the hills of Dartmoor. This last year its nest was found by a brook-side at 

 Kentchurch. No prettier si„^ht can be witnessed at the side of a trout stream 

 than the old grey wagtail, flitting up and down with her young brooJ. The 

 second batch of young appears to remain with the mother-b.rd throughout the 

 winter The type of wagtail which is most similar to it (and which indeed only 

 differs from it by possessing a slightly shorter tail), found in Siberia, Ca.lui>ere, 

 and Northern India, is the M. Mdanope. The yellow (or Ray s wagtail), I have 

 not yet seen in South Herefordshire."* 



\s regards the Entomology of the day, owing to the absence of sunlight, 

 very few insects were observed on the wing. Dr. Chapman captured a few 

 larv«, among them a specimen of that very rare Dicranura bicusp.s. of which 

 Mr Hutchinson has once taken a specimen, and also the perfect insect. These 

 are the only two instances as yet recorded of its capture m this county. 

 Notodonta dromedarlus, Ennomos tiliaria, &c., were also taken. 



BOTANICAL NOTES BY Mr. F. BAINBRIDGE. 



The plants noticed e>i route were not numerous, the dry season no d.nibt 

 having stinted the growth of some, and altogether scorched others, and, moreover, 

 it is possible that the superior attractions of our fair friends ..n this occasion (the 

 Ladies' day) may have diverted the attention of the otherwise Lynx-eyed botanists 

 from their special an.l favourite pursuit. However, the day was not altogether 

 barren of results, for, in the first place whilst en route, all eyes were attracted 

 towards a meadow near Tram Inn by the enchanting pinkish-lilac blossoms of 

 Ononis arvemis anglicfe Rest-harrow, the generic name of this plant being derived 

 from the Greek onos an ass, because that animal alone feeds on it. The French 

 call it Arrete bceuf, from the fact of the long ligneous roots checking the course of 

 the harrow and plough, those implements ot husbandry in France-as formerly 

 in England-having been drawn by oxen. Of Ononis there are two varieties in 

 this locality, viz. -.-arvensis and spino.'^a, of which the latter is more upright in 

 growth Here truly distance lends enchantment to the view, for, beware of the 

 disagreeable glandular exudation from the roots of this plant, of which Lees, 

 quoting from Gardiner's Flora of Forfarshire, remarks in "The Botanical 

 Looker Out" :- " The flowers are so handsome that you are tempted to cull them 

 for your nosegay ; but when their nauseous odour comes in contact with the 

 olfactory nerves, you discard them with a sigh, regretting that so much beauty 

 should be coupled with so noxious a quality. But this, too, reads a lesson." 

 True enough, the furrow-weeds of life had better be past without handling. Of 

 Rest-harrow Gerarde says-" It is sooner found than desired by husbandmen, 



.1 have since seen the yellow wagtail in the extreme south of Herefordshire and in the north 

 of Monmouthshire. In both cases the birds were in small parties of four or Bve m the early 

 spring -(M.G.W., 1892.) 



