48 



reported upon by the Surveyor, and the level of the beach only 

 2 feet 6 inches above the foundations of the sea wall. 



At Margate a series of views were taken, showing the effects 

 of the storm on the Pier and shore. These have been printed 

 and sold on the book-stalls at the railway stations. 



BOTANICAL REPORT. 



G. DOWKER. 



In respect to the Flora of the district I have to report 

 mostly on the losses rather than gains. 



Lepidiujti latifolium seems to have entirely disappeared 

 from its old habitat between Sandwich and Deal, the only place 

 where I have found this plant in East Kent. Epipaciis paltistris, 

 which I have known in certain localities in great abundance for 

 many years past, I searched for in vain last year, and I think it 

 must have been transplanted wholesale or taken root and all by 

 the rare plant collectors. These gentlemen are becoming an 

 intolerable nuisance, for rather than work for a living they go 

 with a spade or trowel to collect ferns or other plants, and take 

 them round the towns to sell, while others as effectually destroy 

 the plants by gathering the flowers. The OrchidaceiB especially 

 suffer from these depredators. The sandhills between Deal and 

 Sandwich by the sea-shore have long been noted for the 

 abundance of the sea holly, Erjngium maritimum ; it is now 

 systematically cut off close to the ground when in full bloom by 

 these robbers to such an extent that the plant is getting scarce, 

 although nothing like exterminated. In the neighbourhood of 

 towns the Caltha palustris is disappearing from our marshes from 

 the same cause. Typha latifolia, the large bull-rush as it is called 

 here, is being exterminated, and Typha angustifolia is carried 

 away by the cart load to sell in the towns. Falcaria vulgaris, 

 which I discovered some forty years ago in Kent, is still to be 

 found in the same field where I met with it, but it has not 

 extended any further. The last season produced some very fine 

 spikes of the orchids, among which I have to record one from 

 the neighbourhood of Wye. where it has not been found for 

 many years past, and in the Dartford neighbourhood it still 

 lingers. Astragalus hypoglottis, by no means a common plant in 

 East Kent, is still met M'ith in its old localities, and the same 

 may be said of Hdlehorus viridis. Sambucus Ebulus, dwarf elder, 

 I have not met with for some years past. Aljssum incanuin has 

 been found recently in the arable fields in the neighbourhood of 

 Chatham. 



