Botanical Section. 23 
pleasant afternoon was spent; the rarest flower found in theCranham 
Woods was the Dipsacus pilosus, which is only known to grow in 
that one place in a quarry, anywhere near Cheltenham. Through 
the kindness of the Principal, tea was procured at Birdlip before the 
Section started home via Witcomb and Shurdington. 
The last expedition was made with the whole Society to Ched- 
worth and Foss Bridge, where some general work was done ; the 
best flower found was the Vicia sylvatica. 
Orchidaceae. 
*Spiranthes autumnalis Orchis maculata 
Neottia Nidus-avie »» pyramidalis 
Listera ovata Gymnadenia conopsea 
Epipactis latifolia *Habenaria bifolia 
Cephalanthera grandiflora Habenaria viridis 
Orchis Morio Herminium monorchis 
,, mascula Ophrys apifera 
ustulata * 4,  muscifera 
latifolia 
” 
LecrurRE BY Mr. MATTHEWS. 
The study of Botany may be dry in the extreme, or it may be 
matter of absorbing interest. To find it dry, get up a text book. 
To find it fascinating, turn to nature. In early spring the student 
will find much to engage his attention without finding himself lost 
in too great a wealth of flowers. What shall he do? Shall he 
commence the intellect-starving work of the mere collector, and 
take delight in possessing more dry and stuffy specimens than his 
Gearest friend, or in having uprooted the only specimen within 
miles, of some rare and much persecuted plant ; or shall he treat 
fowers like friends and profit by their acquaintance? If he elect 
to adopt the latter course, he cannot do better than begin his work 
by looking out for the numerous contrivances by which insects are 
compelled to work in the service of flowers and carry pollen from 
one to another. In the great majority of plants there is some 
device by which it is easy for the pollen of a flower to get away to 
the stigma of some other flower, but difficult, if not impossible, to 
® Is marked against those which were not given in but are to be found 
near Cheltenham. 
