[September, i860.] 257 



VISIT TO HUMPHREY HEAD. 

 By Dr. Windsor, F.L.S. 



Having occasion to be at Flarkburgh, in Cartmel, Morecambe 

 Bay, on the 11th of this month (July, 1860), I was very un- 

 vt^ilKng to be so near Humphrey Head, distant three to four 

 miles, without paying it another, or third, visit. 



It was, however, about four o^ clock, p.m., before I could con- 

 veniently set off on my solitary walk, and I was obliged to be 

 back at the Cark station soon after eight, in order to meet the 

 train for Manchester, where I arrived soon after midnight. The 

 afternoon was very fine, though hot and fatiguing, but the pro- 

 spect of a rich botanical treat inspired me with persevering cou- 

 rage : nor was I disappointed. 



On approaching the majestic frowning promontory, rising high 

 above the surge of the watery element around, I met a gentleman 

 just returning from it, and recognizing each other by our re- 

 spective vascula as fellow-botanists, we entered into conversa- 

 tion. Finding that he was not aware of, nor had met with, some 

 of the denizens of the locality, he readily fell in with my 

 proposal to retrace his steps, and I had soon the pleasure of 

 pointing out to him Asperula cynanchica and Hypochoeris macu- 

 lata. The former, in full flower, occurs in tolerable plenty on the 

 brow of the hill near the precipitous cliff, accompanied by Heli- 

 anthemum canum, but the latter was quite out of flower, whilst 

 its pretty ally or kindred species, Helianthernum vulgare, on the 

 adjoining plateau was still in full bloom. Asperula cynanchica 

 , might be easily passed over by an unwary observer, and mistaken 

 for tufts of Galium saxatile, as the dense inflorescence looked 

 white, and the pinkish tinge was scarcely apparent until it had 

 lain in ^e vasculum to the following day. 



Hypochceris maculata, stated in books to flower in July and 

 August, and which I saw abundantly in flower on my last visit 

 on June 23rd, 1857 (see ' Phytologist ^ for November, 1857, 

 p. 257), now exhibited scarcely any of its yellow florets, but 

 the large inflated calyx (much more bulky than in Hieracium) 

 seemed somewhat inflected to embrace the whitish seminal or- 

 gans. On this occasion I was only able to collect, near the 

 base of the rock, four or five specimens, and none at or near 



kthe summit. 

 N. S. VOL. IV. 3 L 



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