0.32 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [Sess. lxxxiii 



stoue. these uplands resemble Cannock Chase both geo- 

 locricall y and botanicalh', but Maer Heath is largely planted 

 with Scots pine. Mr. Garner, in his Science Gossip 

 paper, tells ns that this plantation is the one referred 

 to by Darwin ( Origin of Species, chap, iii), where he 

 describes the changes in fauna and flora which had re- 

 sulted from the enclosing a portion of the Heath with the 

 introduction into the enclosed area of but one species 

 (Pinus sylvestris), when a considerable increase in the 

 number of species of insects and insectivorous birds was 

 noted. I found four widely separated patches of the h3'brid 

 Vaccinium on Maer Heath, and one patch, with unusually 

 fragrant blossoms, on Whitmore Common. The Maer Heath 

 patches showed marked individuality of growth and habit. 

 A small patch, growing on a dry artificial bank, showed a 

 very striking reduction in the size of the leaves. Another 

 patch, with large glossy leaves, though measuring only 9 

 yards by 16, was the largest that I found. (I was expect- 

 ing to find a patch of considerable size.) Situated, how- 

 ever, in a dense part of the pine wood, its growth may 

 have been retarded by shade. Growing near the edge of 

 the wood and not far from houses, it might have been 

 expected to attract attention. Moreover, twigs from this 

 patch bear a marked resemblance to the figure ilhistrating 

 Mr. Garner's article in Science (xossip for 1872. It is, 

 I think, very probable that Mr. Ball collected specimens 

 from this patch in 1870. 



Some of these early specimens were sent to Charles 

 J)arwin by Mr. Garner, who referred to the plant as a 

 hybrid. Darwin, taking also into account the shrivelled 

 appearance of the pollen which Mr. Ball had noted, sug- 

 gested that the seeds would sliow infertility. However, 

 should the seeds collected this year (m Cannock Chase 

 prove to be fertile, it must be taken into consideration that 

 the hybrid flowers may have been fertilised by the pollen 

 of Cowljerry or Bilberry. 



The small hybrid patch (previously mentioned as measur- 

 ing 3 by 7 yards, and giving a comparatively large yield 

 of fruit) was a mere remnant I'ound which a moorland 

 fire had swept — a small green island in a sea of blackened 

 ashes. The patch itself was an almost pure growth of the 



