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plexing, that none should venture there too boldly. Cattle are repeat- 

 edly straying into the midst of the bog, supporting themselves on the 

 tussocks, but have occasionally sunk in, and I think they only owe 

 their more frequent impunity to the possession of four feet, on two of 

 which they can balance themselves, while the others act as pioneers. 

 Bipeds are less fortunate. On one occasion, after a long afternoon of 

 " peripatetic " philosophy among these mazy marshes, when twilight 

 was advancing, I found six yards of very doubtful soil indeed in- 

 tervening between dry land and me, with the only alternative of 

 boldly crossing it, or retreating amongst dangers not so light as to be 

 encountered in the dark without careful deliberation. This was a di- 

 lemma such as the practical botanist may often expect. " Well," 

 thought T, "perhaps Guizot's ' Recta brevissima omnium' is after all, 

 preferable to the ' Sat cito, si sat bene ' of the Lord Chancellor," and 

 with a forward dash, which made the dingy bog quake for yards 

 around, four of the lightest and longest strides carried me safe over, 

 though with some remains of a natural apprehension, and a good be- 

 spattering. It is a good rule to remember, in botanizing in such 

 places, that Coraarum palustre denotes unsafe, and Carex flava a 

 secure ground. 



The first object of note in a walk hither, will be the rare Carex 

 axillaris, first observed by Mr. BoiTer,on a ditch-bank, in the meadow 

 adjoining Heath Mill-pond. I believe it is known but in one other 

 spot in Sussex. This whole neighbourhood may be considered rich 

 in species of Carex. With C. axillaris is found abundance of the 

 handsome C. pseudo-Cyperus ; C. paniculata and teretiuscula form 

 their great tussocks, the accumulation of repeated decay, along the 

 banks of the pond, and about the bogs C. ampullacea abounds, and is 

 easily recognized by its slender, hoary leaves. It is not unlikely that 

 C. filiforrais may be found here too, as Mr. Borrer has pointed out to 

 me, in places unfortunately inaccessible to us, clumps of leaves, much 

 resembling, at a distance, those of this Carex. I hope to explore the 

 spot when T find the proper means of doing so with safety. Carex 

 flava and ffideri are both here, and in their wild state I always find 

 the character of the barren spike sufficiently plain to distinguish the 

 species ; though in Botanic Gardens, it seems, the effect of culture is 

 to confound the species by making the male spikes either sessile or 

 stalked indifferently. F. A. Malleson. 



Pulborcugb, Sussex. 



E. NEWMAN, PRINTER, 9, DEVONSHIRE STREET, BISHOPSGATE, LONDON. 



