xii RIVERSIDE LETTERS 93 



riant blaze of yellow flowers, I took them 

 for marsh marigolds, but as it was in July of 

 course these could not have been in flower. 

 I never saw any naturalisation of a garden 

 flower more complete. The plant had taken 

 thorough possession of the fringes of the 

 brook, from the little village of Winterbourne, 

 all the way to where it joins the Lambourne, 

 near Donnington Castle. I did not see any 

 after that on the sides of the Lambourne, but 

 no doubt the steeper banks of this much 

 larger stream prevented the seeds from 

 finding a congenial root-hold. The smaller 

 brook flowed along down a rather steep 

 course without any definite banks ; it ran 

 through long grass, clumps of water-flags, 

 masses of water-cresses, forget-me-nots, and 

 other aquatic plants, amongst which this 

 mimulus seemed to be very much at home. 



It is evidently a semi-aquatic. I never 

 cared for it much as a garden plant, it being 

 generally rather dwarf and dowdy-looking, 

 but when it found so congenial and natural 



