138 KENTISH BOTANY. [May, 



fibrous-rooted plants which grow naturally on sandhills by the 

 shore, viz. Psamma arenaria, PhJeum arenarinm, Carex arenaria, 

 Crow Garlic, Sheep's Scabious, and similar species. 



This tract of sand is above two miles from the sea, and, as 

 above said, cultivation has considerably diminished its extent^ 

 and it is probably destined, in these times of physical material 

 progress, shortly to disappear. On the west the land is depressed 

 into the marsh. 



The path to New Romney leads through this sandbank, and 

 then through the meadows ; and a charming path it is, having the 

 sail-covered sea on the right, and the extended treeless flat of 

 Romney Marsh on the left, well backed by the heights near 

 Tenterden, Eastbourne, etc. In the distance to the east are 

 seen the cliffs about Folkestone, the camp at Shorne, and nearer 

 to the spectator the towns of Hythe and New Romney. 



At New Romney we halted for breakfast, and also for survey- 

 ing the present state of this once celebrated town. Here we 

 met with Borago officinalis and Marrubium vulgare, neither of 

 them very abundant ; Carduus tenuiflorus is plentiful everywhere 

 in these bounds ; Chenopodium olidum and C. rubrum are fre- 

 quent. , 



In our way to Dymchurch we passed through the. warren 

 which is situated between New Romney and the shore. iFIere 

 we were surrounded with horse-artillery, and had an opportunity 

 of studying the mechanism and the exquisite finish of the Arm- 

 strong guns, the great peace-makers of our times. During our 

 search for simples a field-battery was drawn up on the beacli^ 

 and the practice began, but it did not interrupt our peaceful 

 pursuits. / 



The warren plants observed were Trifolium scabrum and 

 T. sujfocatum, Medicago minima, and other more commqn Le- 

 guminifers ; also Silene conica, now past its prime, like some of 

 us who were looking for it, and perchance like some who are 

 skimming this article. Phleum arenarium is nearly as plentiful 

 as the pebbles. 



From the warren we walked onwards on the Dymchurch roai^ 

 till we reached the beach, where Eryngium maritimum and Glau- 

 cium luteum were both very plentiful and beautiful on the bare 

 shingle, while on the muddy hollow between this natural barrier 

 of pebbles and the sea-wall, we saw abundance of jPrartA:^^^ Icevis 



