1861.] BURNHAM BEECHES. 169 



and boggy land here^ — I anticipate that in this county, at the 

 proper season, a very fair amount of good plants may be detected. 

 I write ' detected ' advisedly ; for where next to nothing has been 

 done, every rare plant observed will be a discovery. 



The best way of reaching Burnham Beeches from London, is 

 to travel by the Great Western Railway as far as Slough. There, 

 or soon after leaving Slough, the botanist should go to the right 

 hand, by Farnham Royal, by a road almost at right-angles to the 

 London and Bath road. The distance to the Beeches is not more 

 than two or three miles from Slough. But it may be somewhat 

 more, for a person is but an indifferent judge of distance when 

 he travels with those who have the art of beguiling the tedious- 

 ness of the way, by kindness and sprightly conversation. 



Your correspondent does not know how far it is from Slough 

 to the Beeches -, he neither walked, nor did he hire or pay for a 

 fly or cab. In the latter case. Cabby would have enlightened his 

 mind and lightened his purse at the same time, and by one and 

 the same process. But it is not a very unpleasant walk, even in 

 a sultry and dusty day, for the lanes are deep and well shaded, 

 and there are several groves, copses, or small woods, which in 

 May or the beginning of June might repay a visit with a reason- 

 able supply of Orchids andother specimens of sylvan or septal plants. 



I did not see any Orchids, for it was at the very end of August 

 when I was here ; but two Campanulas were observed in the 

 long narrow lane about halfway between Farnham Royal and 

 Burnham. The C. Trachelium is certainly there in plenty : not 

 a rarity, it may be said, in many parts of the country ; and also, 

 it is hoped, C. latifolia, quite a rarity so far south as this locali- 

 ty. Inula Conyza (Plowman's Spikenard), Malva moschata (cut- 

 leaved Mallow), and Verbascum nigrum (black Mullein), Avere 

 plentiful. The more widely distributed V. Thapsus (Moth Mul- 

 lein, Taper Mullein, Kentish Blanket, etc.) was, as usual, very 

 sparingly distributed. Ex pede Herculem, as the ancient sage 

 observed : you can judge of the stock by the sample. The bota- 

 nist can tell by these examples, i. e. when he sees these few pro- 

 minent representatives of Flora, that he is in a district not desti- 

 tute of good plants, if he only knows where to look for them, 

 and has energy enough to keep a vigilant outlook, lest he should 

 walk by them, and imagine that there are no rare plants on his 

 way, because he did not see them. 



N. S. VOL. V. z 



