104 BOTANY OP THE DOWARD HILLS. [April, 



Poterium muricatum is one of our recent acquisitions, acquired 

 either by separation from P. Sanguisorba or by importation with 

 foreign seeds. The plant, whether a variety of P. Sanguisorba 

 or as distinct as Hereford is distant from Ross, grows in old pas- 

 tures on the Little Doward, where there has been no cultivation 

 within the memory of the oldest inhabitant. It does not appear 

 to be an introduction in Herefordshire. 



Pyrus Aria and P. Torminalis are distributed over most parts 

 of Europe, from Denmark to Greece, and they form part of the 

 arborescent vegetation of this part of the west of England. 



Cotyledon Umbilicus appears to have a predilection for the 

 western parts of England, and therefore if its distribution in 

 England, independently of its European range, is to be the sub- 

 ject of consideration, it is far from being a western plant, for it 

 is found in the most eastern counties of England. The nature 

 of the surface and the state of the atmosphere have more effect 

 on the distribution of the plant than a few degrees east or west 

 have. 



The plant however is not confined to the west of Europe, but 

 is a denizen of Switzerland, and grows to the east of the Adriatic, 

 and extends into Greece and Turkey, about as far as possible in 

 Europe from the Atlantic. But this is an example of one of the 

 necessary consequences of attempting to establish general laws 

 without a competent knowledge of individual facts. The result 

 is, only vague and uncertain generalities. 



Cornus sanguinea, Viburnum Lantana, Acer campestre, and 

 Ligustrwrh vulgare are chiefly found in hedges ; and hence it is a 

 matter of wonderment that their nativity has not been called in 

 question by some sharp-sighted observers, who will not let the 

 world be ignorant of their perspicacity while they have wind 

 enough in their lungs to blow their own trumpets withal. These 

 would-be-wiser observers than their fellows will say, " True ; but 

 they are not exclusively found in hedges : they are called sylves- 

 trals ; and woods, like hedges, are mostly planted.^' But are there 

 no natural hedges, as there may be and are natural woods ? When 

 wood covered most part of the country, and before clearings and 

 roads were made, all the shrubs and trees now growing in hedges 

 might have grown in the original forest, and they may have been 

 left, and probably were left, as a protection to the cleared culti- 

 vated portions which skirted the public thoroughfares. Hence 



