178 KENTISH BOTANY. [June, 



The Eev. G. E. Smith's 'Plants of South Kent' contributed 

 much to our knowledge of the botany of certain localities in the 

 south-east of Kent ; but as a whole^ the botany of this county is 

 still unknown. 



The London botanists usually confine themselves to the north- 

 ern parts of the county, along the Thames, and consequently the 

 plants of Gravesend, Cobham, Cuxton, Northfleet, Greenhithe, 

 etc., come in for the greater share of their attentions. Who 

 knows the botany of the Grays, — Foot's Cray, North Cray, St. 

 Paul's Cray, Crayford, etc. ? Did the late Mr. Peete, of Dartford, 

 leave any manuscripts on this subject? Who has traversed the 

 range of chalk hills bounding the Weald of Kent on the north- 

 west through Westerham, Wrotham, etc., down to the mouth of 

 the Medway ? We are not aware of any addition to the know- 

 ledge of our native plants being made in these parts during the 

 present century. 



The journey, of which a brief account follows, was undertaken 

 partly for botanical purposes, and partly for change of scene, 

 fresh air, and general conversation (interchange of ideas on 

 scientific, social, and political subjects). Although we rather 

 shun than court publicity, and therefore do not -publish our names, 

 yet any reasonable information or explanation will be given by the 

 Editor to any applicant. It may further be satisfactory to the 

 readers of the ' Phytologist ' to be assured that no plant is en- 

 tered about which there was any doubt in our minds respecting 

 either its identity or its spontaneity. It is also proper to inti- 

 mate that the pronoun tve, (truly and necessarily employed in 

 the following narration,) does not mean the editorial we, but is 

 simply the representative of two persons who were engaged with 

 one mind in the prosecution of a common object. The writer 

 is one, but the facts observed and recorded were seen by both 

 the observers. 



Although our botanizing, strictly speaking, commenced in the 

 ancient city of Canterbui'y, our notice of a few Faversham plants 

 is to be regarded as only an episode to this narration of our ex- 

 cursion, yet we were now and then able to catch a hasty glimpse 

 at certain plants on the railway bank or cutting along which we 

 were moving at the rate of from thirty to forty miles an hour. 

 For example, between Woolwich and Erith we saw Erigeron 

 acris, which is rather a, pascual (pasture) than a mural or rupes- 



