98 



species, instead of reducing it to the humble grade of a variety of that 

 coarse and gigantic monster, Lastrea multiflora ! 



Polystichum aculeatum. This fern I never saw growing wild in 

 Devonshire or Cornwall till, in company with my friend the Rev. C 

 A. Johns, I met with it last month in the hedges between Totnes and 

 Ashburton, in the former county : it extended for nearly two miles, 

 and was mixed wuth the very common P. angulare, which grows 

 luxuriantly in the western counties. P. aculeatum, however, did not 

 appear at home in this new locality, as, although abundant, the fronds 

 were comparatively small and unhealthy if contrasted with others 

 from more favoured districts. 



W. S. HORE. 



St. Clement's, Oxford, 

 February 14, 1851. 



Recollections of a Morning's Ramble in the Whittlesea Fens. 

 By the Rev. W. T. Bree, M.A. 



In the early part of July, 1840, happening to be on a visit of some 

 days with a friend residing about two miles from Oundle, in North- 

 amptonshire, I felt a strong desire to take that opportunity of making an 

 excursion to Whittlesea Mere, a part of the country I had never seen, 

 but knew by report to be full of botanical, as well as entomological, 

 interest. Every day during my sojourn seemed to have its business 

 or its pleasure ready cut out for it, except one ; and on that one we 

 were engaged to dine with a much-revered friend residing some six 

 miles or so in a nearly opposite direction to the fen country. Under 

 these circumstances, what was to be done ? It was suggested that by 

 rising somewhat earlier in the morning than usual, and taking advan- 

 tage of a pair of posters from Oundle, it might be possible to effect 

 both objects, — to go to the Fens, and fulfil our engagement with our 

 friend afterwards ; and as the proverb says " Haifa loaf is better than 

 no bread," it was unanimously judged that even such a hasty visit 

 only as this arrangement would admit of, would be better than not 

 going to the Fens at all. Accordingly the above scheme was resolved 

 upon ; our friend drove us in his carriage to Oundle, and from thence 

 we posted to Yaxley, a village situate close upon the fens, to the 

 north-west of the Mere. Here our first care was to meet with some 

 one used to the fens to act as a guide ; and we were presently intro- 

 duced to a young man bearing a long pole, whose face, from having 



