1055 



of their fragrant bundles to the inhabitants of that town. Like- 

 wise, at the gate of the venerable abbey, women, as well as children, 

 may generally be seen, whilst the lilies are in flower, retailing them 

 to such visitors as wish to bear away a Tintern bouquet. In diffe- 

 rent places in the same wood, amongst Convallai'ia majalis, may 

 be gathered chance plants of Polygonatum officinale ; but there is 

 great danger of its being eradicated, as it is generally sought to add 

 beauty to the bunches of lilies. Rubia peregrina I found in several 

 places in this wood, and Aquilegia vulgaris is scattered plentifully 

 through all the woods in the neighbourhood. Veronica montana is 

 very common in every wood, and by roadsides. Vacciniura Myrtil- 

 lus and Berberis vulgaris are likewise to be found. Epilobium angus- 

 tifolium and Habenaria viridis I saw in one spot only. Euphorbia 

 stricta still flourishes in its original habitat, and Geranium sangui- 

 neum covers a rugged rock by the roadside, half a mile on the Tin- 

 tern side of St. Arvans. A short distance from Tintern Abbey, ^ 

 towards Tintern Parva, T was fortunate enough to discover Eryn- 1 

 gium campestre, by the roadside, near a manure-heap ; two roots only 

 were growing. I believe it has never before been observed in that 

 locality. The Wye, on both sides, from Tintern to Chepstow, is 

 fringed with the white flowers of Cochlearia ofiiciualis ; and the 

 castle walls, at the latter place, are red with the blossoms of Cen- 

 tranthus ruber. 



At Chepstow I left the Wye, and crossed the water to Clifton. 

 On St. "Vincent's Rocks, I gathered Ophrys muscifera, O. arachnites, 

 O. apifera, Hippocrepis comosa, Chlora perfoliata, Arabis stricta (one 

 specimen only), and Helianthemum polifolium. The last-named 

 plant, I believe, has never been seen in this situation before ; Brean 

 Downs (Somersetshire), and Torquay and Babbicombe (Devonshire), 

 being the only recorded habitats for it. On the Clifton Downs, at 

 the top of St. Vincent's Rocks, grew Rubia peregrina, Spiraea Filipen- 

 dula, and Geranium rotundifolium ; and, about a mile from the 

 Downs, I found one plant of the Meconopsis Cambrica. I looked 

 carefully in every direction, but could find no more. 



Numbers of other plants were, of course, growing on all sides ; but 

 the above I noticed, as the more uncommon ones. 



T. W. GiSSING. 



44, High Street, Worcester, 

 August 4, 1853. 



