539 



inhabitant. The Haldoii hills, rising to 700 or 800 feet, present a 

 somewhat subalpine botanical aspect; and bogs occur on their slopes 

 and defiles, which nourish the Pinguicula lusitanica, Drosera longi- 

 Iblia, Hypericum elodes, Myrica Gale, Narthecium ossifragum, and 

 Eriophorum angustifolium. The latter plant was now beautifully con- 

 spicuous, in flossy patches of snow-like whiteness. Erica Tetralix 

 was equally abundant, and Rubus Idaeus in profusion. 



Ling and gorse of course formed dense, bushy masses in the hol- 

 lows and along the ridges of the hills ; and Ulex Gallii was quite as 

 large and abundant as Europaeus: but none of the former species was 

 as yet in flower; while the latter was still in golden glory. It was 

 remarkable, too, to observe that, though both species grew intermixed, 

 yet, while Cuscuta Epithymum abounded so much on U. Gallii as to 

 beard its branches with innumerable purple strings and knots, not a 

 single plant of Europajus was attacked by the rampant dodder. Dr. 

 F. Halle, whose botanical work on " the Vale of Teign " I before 

 alluded to, but whose gatherings are mostly the very commonest 

 plants, mentions the gorse on Haldon as U. nanus, and gives the fol- 

 lowing anecdote, which is good enough in its way, if not a repetition 

 of an old story : — " A. gentleman in this part of England, having told 

 a labourer on his estate to cut down and bring to his house a cart- 

 load oi furze, saw him, with considerable astonishment and anger, 

 arrive some time afterwards with a load of young^rs, part of a valu- 

 able plantation." 



Near Tynemouth, in my way, I gathered Barbarea prsecox, men- 

 tioned by Sir J. E. Smith as growing in this vicinity years ago ; and 

 on the rise of Little Haldon some quantity of Arabis hirsuta occurred, 

 in flower, growing very tall. This is not noticed by Jones, in his 

 ' Botanical 1 our in Devon ;' neither is it mentioned by Dr. Halle. 



Rosa villosa and inodora. I gathered these two species of rose in 

 bushy places about the Haldon downs ; but the tribe appeared by no 

 means beautiful or abundant in Devonshire. R. canina was, indeed, 

 plentiful, but with very pale flowers ; and R. arvensis presented itself 

 occasionally. R. rubiginosa grew on the cliffs between Exmouth and 

 Budleigh Salterton, and at Anstey's Cove, near Torquay. 



Anchasa sempervirens. This plant presented itself in some plenty 

 by the side of the road between Ashcombe and Dawlish, about a 

 quarter of a mile from the Ashcombe school-house. 1 do not know 

 that this locality has been ever given ; but Jones mentions it at 

 " Moreton and North Bovey." 



Colyledon Umbilicus. Abundantly in flower on rocks and walls in 



