46 MAiANTHEMUM BiFOLTUM. [February, 



and Harapsteacl, and on the very summit of the hill^ nearly op- 

 posite Kentish Town. 



The way to reach it is by the garden which lies at the High- 

 gate extremity of the park and woods ; and of course leave is to 

 be obtained of the gardener, who will civilly give liberty in the 

 morning, say fi'ora nine to ten o'clock, or at other times of the 

 day, if the noble owner and family be absent at the time of appli- 

 cation. 



The visitor will be directed to ^valk down the gravel path, which 

 has a shrubbery on one side (the left), and the park on the other 

 (the right), to cross the valley at the head of the small reservoir, 

 or pond, and to keep the grassy opening, having the meadows 

 on the left and the wood on the right. After about five minutes' 

 walk the F,ir-trees appear, and there are under them two paths, 

 one bearing a little to the left, close to the verge of the wood 

 and adjoining the meadows, another leads straight onwards, up 

 a little acclivity to a few large Beech- trees and a summer-house, 

 and it is on the open space before this erection, surrounded by 

 Beeches, that the plant grows. 



When I first detected this rare British species, many years ago, 

 as above related, there were two patches of it visible ; one close 

 to the path, about halfway up the hill to the place where the 

 larger patch was and is. The former has long since disappeared. 



The area covered by the Maianthemum, then, was probably 

 about twelve or sixteen square yards, and the shape of the bed 

 whereon it guew was almost square. About ten years ago it had 

 very much enlarged its borders, but its figure remained still the 

 same. It has no longer its former regular shape; though the 

 space over which it spreads is closely carpeted with the plant, 

 which maintains sole possession of the ground to the exclusion 

 of other plants. With the exception of some Mosses, and a 

 very few stray plants of the Wood Hyacinth, it is still the un- 

 disputed possessor of the soil. 



I will not assert that it is native in this locality ; but it may 

 safely be said that there is no historical nor traditional evidence 

 of its introduction. The only things planted here are Laurels 

 and Rhododendrons, with neither of which was it likely to have 

 been introduced. 



Bishop's Wood, below the Spaniards Hotel, still produces the 

 fine Rush Scirpus sylvaiicus, also Cardamine amara, Equisetum 



