138 



ditional one. Specularia hybrida, with Euphorbia exigua and Peplus, were found at 

 the same spot. Onobrychis sativa formed the aftercrop of the field, from which barley 

 was just ready to be carried; this substitution of Onobrychis for clover as an aftercrop 

 is a somewhat novel feature in our farming. 



Having crossed the road some distance farther on, we commenced tracing up a 

 lovely hill-stream called the Windrush. At the picturesque village of Harmton it is 

 a small brook, whose " waters flow on with a murmuring sound,'* and are as bright 

 and as clear as crystal ; and here we met with four species of Potamogeton, — grami- 

 neus, densus, crispus and lucens ; the large beds of the three last, with their rich po- 

 lished leaves, as they were agitated by the ceaseless flow of the rippling stream, under 

 the influence of a bright sun, reflected the richest and most varied tints imaginable. 

 The Potamogetons are comparatively rare with us, on account of our great paucity of 

 water. In this brook we also found another plant of rare occurrence in this district, 

 — Poa aquatica. Just before we left the road to explore the brook, our attention was 

 arrested by the sight of two large trees of Pyrus Aria, which were then in fine fruit. 

 This tree gives quite a characteristic feature to all the Cotteswold woods, the bright 

 silvery leaves contrasting beautifully with the dark green of summer and the rich yel- 

 low and brown tints of autumn ; but owing to the practice of annually clearing away 

 a portion of underwood, with which this tree is generally doomed, it is rare to find a 

 specimen in flower ; and it is not until one meets with a venerable tree in some retired 

 nook, where the woodman's axe has been withheld for a number of years, that one can 

 obtain a presentable specimen, as these trees do not flower until, " with lichens silvery 

 grey," the bark has attained the same hue as the leaves. 



Leaving this brook to pursue its tortuous course through some beautiful green 

 fields, we proceeded by a nearer route to the spot where it passes under the turnpike 

 toad ; and having recrossed this via intermedia of our course, we again traced up the 

 brook to the rich botanical habitat known by the name of the Seven Springs.* Here 

 the water gushes out from several places at the base of an oolitic hill, tossing and 

 leaping in wild tumultuous joy, as if well pleased to escape from its rocky cave into 

 the light of day, and a glorious day it was that shone upon the liquid crystal at the 

 time of our visit. These waters, at a short distance from the base of the hill, run over 

 a largish surface of tolerably level ground, forming a kind of swamp or bog, bounded 

 on one side by the Windrush, whose waters these springs considerably augment. The 

 botanist who is not afraid of wet feet, or the chance of the occasional disappearance of 

 a leg or so in the depths of a quagmire, and few ardent spirits mind such trifling mis- 

 chances, will find himself amply rewarded by diligently examining every inch of this 

 slippery place; for though it was so late in the year, we discovered the following 

 plants during our short visit. — 



Blysmus compressus Menyanthes trifoliata Pinguicula vulgaris 



Carex vesicaria Parnassia palustris Scutellaria galericulata 



Hydrocotyle vulgaris Pedicularis palustris Triglochin palustre 



Marchantia polymorpha 



* These Seven Springs must not be confounded with those on the Cirencester road, 

 which are said to be the source of the Thames. Our country people are very fond of 

 calling by this name all places where the water gushes forth from a number of small 

 channels. 



