199 



it many years ago at Over, where, he writes me word, it still exists in small quantity. 

 Lastly, it is recorded in the Yorkshire Flora, as being found in the neighbourhood of 

 Boroughbridge. One of the five new localities is at a place near Town-lane Bridge, 

 which crosses the Worsley Caual near Tildsley, about nine miles from Manchester : 

 the plant here grows in an alder-swamp in great abundance, and was first discovered 

 several years since by Mr. John Martin, a humble but ardent investigator of the ar- 

 cana of Nature, who resides near the spot ; by him it was sent to Mr. Wilson, who de- 

 termined its identity. The second locality was discovered by my friend Mr. Buxton, 

 on the 24th of last May, about four miles from Manchester, near the village of Chorl- 

 ton, where it exists in profusion, encircling and growing in three large ponds, or, as 

 they are technically termed here, "/)i<s;" and this habitat, I may remark en passant, is 

 one that is not likely to be destroyed by the ruthless and unsparing hand of improve- 

 ment, either real or imaginary. Mr. B. also found it a few days prior to this, in con- 

 siderable plenty, on the swampy banks of Rostherne Mere, Cheshire, a large and beau- 

 tiful inland lake, and a locality rich in botanical productions, particularly in the genus 

 Carex. The fourth locality is one that was pointed out to me when on a visit to War- 

 rington last summer, by Mr. Wilson, who had long been aware of its existence there : 

 the " pit " is in a field near to Bruch Fann, about a mile and a half from Warrington, 

 on the road to Manchester, and here, likewise, it is in great abundance. During our 

 rambles together on the same day, we again met with this delightful plant in very 

 great quantities, completely lining the sides of the ditch for a very considerable dis- 

 tance ; this was previously entirely unknown to Mr. Wilson, and you may be assured 

 our delight was commensurate with the value of the discovery. The name of the lane 

 I do not at this moment remember, but it is in the immediate vicinity of Warrington, 

 and would be most readily pointed out to any one happening to visit that neighbourhood, 

 and who might be desirous of gathering it, by Mr. Wilson, whose courtesy and urba- 

 nity to all who are ambitious of increasing their knowledge in natural science, is such 

 as to merit the highest meed of praise. — /. B. Wood, M.D. ; Broughton, near Man- 

 chester, March 9, 1842. 



136. Nero locality for Carex axillaris. It also aflFords me much pleasure to add 

 another to the localities already known for the equally rare Carex axillaris. This was 

 also found by my indefatigable friend Buxton, in company with Mr. J. Martin, on the 

 30th of last May (1841), about one mile west of Leigh, in Westleigh, and about ten 

 miles from Manchester : the plant was growing sparingly from the hedge-bank, and 

 much cropped by cattle. In connexion with this species, perhaps you will permit me 

 to observe, that during a short stay in York last summer, on my return from a very 

 prosperous botanical visit to Teesdale, I had the pleasure of calling upon Mr. Baines, 

 the author of the excellent ' Flora of Yorkshire;' and in looking over his duplicates, I 

 met with a single specimen of Carex axillaris, which is now in my herbarium. It 

 was not then known to him, but he assured me most confidently that he had gathered it 

 himself in Heslington fields, near York, shortly before, and that, as far as his recollec- 

 tion served him, it was in considerable quantity. I hope, however, that either Mr. 

 Baines, or some other resident botanist, will elucidate this fact clearly and satisfacto- 

 rily, and favour us with the result of his investigation through the pages of 'The Phy- 

 tologist,' which are always open for the promulgation of truth and the advancement 

 of botanical science. — Id. 



137. List of Mosses ^c. collected chiefly at Leith Hill, Surrey. I returned this 

 morning from a two days' excursion in Surrey, whither I had accompanied my friend 



