101 



gathered many bog and aquatic plants, have long since produced in- 

 stead of them, crops of oats, barley, and the like. T could not help 

 remarking the reluctance which some of the native plants seemed to 

 evince at yielding up possession of their rightful territory where it had 

 been partially drained and submitted to the plough. While the ground 

 was in this transition state, as I may call it, they not only still strug- 

 gled for existence, but even reappeared in unusual vigour. Thus, e. g.^ 

 in certain spots, the surface of which had been broken up, and even 

 sown with an artificial crop, I observed the largest and most luxuriant 

 specimens of Samolus Valerandi I had ever seen ; and even the little 

 delicate Anagallis tenella seemed on this occasion to have thrown 

 aside much of its modest retiring habit,, and exhibited, in broad dense 

 masses, its most exquisitely tender pink blossoms, making quite a 

 showy appearance, which caught the eye at a distance. I really 

 should not have believed, had I not witnessed the fact, that this 

 humble plant could have cut so conspicuous a figure. In fact, the 

 aborigines were on the point of being forcibly dislodged, and they 

 made a noble resistance. As regards insects, the case is perhaps 

 somewhat different. The splendid Lycsena dispar, one while cap- 

 tured here abundantly, is now, 1 am told, scarcely, if at all, to be 

 found in this locality. Its existence in Britain will probably ere long 

 be mere matter of history, — one of the things which ivere, and are not. 

 A collector and dealer at Yaxley informed me in the summer of 1848, 

 that he had that season most diligently searched up and down all the 

 dykes, and could scarcely find a single caterpillar ; and he had, I 

 think, only one specimen of the butterfly in his boxes. The Whit- 

 tlesea satin moth too {Lcelia cwnosa), I was told, used to be found in 

 certain parts of the Fens, but had not been met with of late years. 

 But I am straying from the subject, and must return to botany. 

 Among the less common plants we met with on this occasion, I recol- 

 lect the following : — 



Veronica scutellata. Common. 



Pinguicula vulgaris. Sparingly. 



Ulricularia vulgaris. The larger bladdei*wort almost choked up 

 many of the ditches, which were quite gay with its bright yellow blos- 

 soms. I did not observe more than one species, though probably U. 

 minor may also be found in this locality. 



Schoenus Mariscus. This plant, half rush, half sedge, constitutes 

 one of the staple growths of the Fens, occupying as it does whole 

 tracts of ground, and presenting a stern, bold aspect, as if it cared for 

 nothing. Though a plant of no very attractive appearance to a gene- 



