io8 MY DEVON YEAR 



ruins of man's contrivances that have floated hither 

 from the ships. Here, amid chaos of pebble and 

 planes of sand, springs the sea-holly's silvery- blue 

 foliage and darker bloom ; various spurges thrive 

 beside it with green leaves and flowers, and the 

 glaucous leaf of the horned poppy makes yet another 

 shade of lovely silver-green against the more verdant 

 growths and its own corn -coloured blossoms. The 

 sea-convolvulus has a white star of five rays within 

 her rosy chalice. She lies upon the sand and shines 

 up at the rain-clouds ; and not far distant the rare 

 purple spurge still haunts these strands, and straggles 

 ruddy upon them. Above the actual beach small 

 things work an embroidery of brightness into the 

 grass, and wild thyme and bedstraw spread their 

 purple and gold underfoot. Here, too, the round- 

 leaved mallow opens its pale eyes ; while beside the 

 mere grows that minute and most rare herb, the 

 strap -wort ; and the tiny littorella blooms close at 

 hand in the marsh. Rabbits hop along the low 

 dunes, and sheep graze there and shine very white 

 after shearing. 



Here springs up the wormwood in delicate silver 

 sprays just breaking to lemon -coloured bloom. Its 

 sweetness and clean freshness of scent seem won 

 from the salt sea and dry earth touched with rain. 

 A noble contrast offers in the viper's bugloss, whose 

 abundant spires of sapphire -blue, touched with 

 carmine, gleam above the yellow sands. Thrift 



