29 



of many kinds, and ■were altogether 537 in number; and yet the 

 viscid mud was all contained in a breakfast cup."* 



Having thus briefly mentioned the chief circumstances 

 connected with the diffusion of plants, aftev having once found 

 their way into any country, and the contingencies which arise to 

 favour or chock that diffusion, let us now turn to the more 

 immediate consideration of our own Flora of Bath. 



Though we call Bath in the west of E))glaud, there are yet 

 very few, perhaps not more than two or three, plants found in 

 its vicinity which can strictly be considered as west country 

 species. Such are more characteristic of Cornwall, Devon and 

 Wales, and hardly extend into Somerset. (Jlimate, therefore, 

 has probably had but little influence on the Bath Flora. The 

 geological features of the district, which I scarcely touch upon, 

 hoping they will be brought before you by Mr. Charles Moore, 

 on another occasion, have had more to do with it at least in one 

 locality : I refer to "Wick. For the most part the tops of the 

 hills round Bath consist of the Great Ooliti^, while the Lias 

 occupies the valleys ; and there is nothing in the vegetation of 

 either calling for particular notice. Certain species find their 

 proper place on the hills, while others find theirs lower down, 

 but they are the same species met with in similar situations in 

 vai-ious other parts of England. At the Wick Rocks, however, Ave 

 have the Carboniferous Limestone, almost tlie only place about 

 Bath where this rock comes to the surface, and the i>lants are in 

 some measure peculiar compared with the rcf^t of the Bath Flora. 

 There are at least a dozen species found here, whicli are not 

 recorded as growing any where" else about Bath,t while there are 

 others met with only in one or two lo.\'ilities besides. These 

 plants, hoAvever, though confined with us to one spot, are many 

 of them common about Bristol, where ind<,'ed there is a larger 



* Origin of Species, p. 381!. 

 + Some of them, however, may be mistakes, or are now extinct. 



