LLANDDWYN 13 



dominant feature in the landscape in these parts; the 

 Menai Straits conform with it; the numberless low 

 ridges are thus disposed; the great Malldraeth 

 Marsh exemplifies it; the low rivers, finding no egress 

 crosswise into the Straits, perforce follow a parallel 

 course, and, like it, finally debouch toward the south- 

 west. I was not surprised afterwards to find that 

 this feature was a reflection of the fundamental geo- 

 logical plan of this district generally, and that, because 

 of this, it found expression also in the distribution of 

 the local flora. Further, the trend of the roads is 

 likewise conditioned by it, so that in turning from the 

 Holyhead into the Newborough road, we faced 

 south-west, with a direct five-mile course to the latter 

 point. In fact, one might almost say that the land 

 had been "combed out" upon a north-east and 

 south-west line, so much parallelism exists in that 

 direction. 



After leaving the wooded slope of the Menai 

 Straits, the country became open, rolling grass-land, 

 diversified by knobs of rocky outcrop and divided by 

 hedgerows, almost treeless, and with only a sparse 

 shrub growth. So it continued as far as Newborough, 

 save that beyond the fields on our right lay the long, 

 wide trough of Malldraeth Marsh, backed through- 

 out by a prominent, parallel ridge of higher land ; 

 whilst on our left, the rolling grass-land dipped 

 towards the Straits it served to screen, beyond 

 which the mountains of Carnarvonshire were drawn 

 out in unbroken line across the eastern view. 



Upon quitting the wooded shores of the Straits, 

 we likewise left behind Redstart and Wood-wren, 

 Tree-creeper and Titmice, Chaffinch and Bullfinch. 



