Mr. MatonV Ohfervauoiis on the OrchcJIon long G^ofs. 29 



criws in any other p;ut of the kingdom*." This laft opinion 

 Tncleed has been moft ^rencral, and it evidently originated from the 

 account given of it in the Indkiilus Phmtarum dub into which it was 

 copied from Merret's Fhiax, or at Icaft from How's Fhyt-Aogia Bn- 

 tannka, (printed in 1650,) where is the earheft mention of this phe- 

 nomenon in vegetation that I can find, and it is defcribed as " Gramen 

 caninwn, lupinum, longijtmum, non defaiptumr Merret, however, re- 

 marked, in addition, that it was found in iome parts of Wales. 1 ap- 

 prehend that Ray never f^tw it. But I am at length fatisfied that 

 the lon^ grafs of Orchefton is not only not a fpecies peculiar to th(^ 

 fpot, but^hat it is compofed of moft of the fpecies which grow in 



other meadows. 



The meadow producing the grafs which has excited fo much cu- 

 riofity is fituated in the loweR part of a very narrow winding valley t, 

 fheltered on each fide by gradual but by no means lofty acclivities 

 of chalk. This valley forms a channel for the frequent floods 

 which come down from TilHiead (about three miles diftant) in the 

 Winter feafon ; and, from the meadow alluded to being the lowed 

 of the range, in regard to level, the water refts there to fome depth, 

 if it does ally where, and indeed the place is rarely otherwife than 

 fwampv throughout the year. There is one fpring not half a mile 

 diftant^ and therefore the %vater by which the meadow is often fub- 

 merged, may at firfl be of a higher temperature than the furrounding 

 atmofphere. The earlier the fprings fwell, the more plentiful is 

 the fucceeding crop of grafs. This circumftance has conftantly. 



*" Memoirs of the Bath Society, vol. i. p. 95- 



t Dr. Withering is incorrea in calling the diftance of Orchefton St. Mary from Salif- 

 bury .9 miles; it is certainly not more than 11. The meadow is about half a mile from the 

 viUage of Shrewton. It is at prefent rented by Farmer Sheats, of Orchefton St. George. . 



'' been. 



