204 CHAPTER XXVII. 



near Nice in places where no one could have planted 

 it. If herbs of this sort spread upwards on a wall, as 

 they often do, I believe that the seeds are carried by 

 ants. It is well known that this Linaria is able to 

 thrust its seed-cases into a chink of the wall ; but this 

 does not altogether explain the phenomenon. 



When the English botanist has examined the 

 more conspicuous of the Wayside Weeds, he will find 

 that many a small plant has escaped his attention. 

 For instance, it is easy to overlook such an unpretend- 

 ing flower as the Campanula Erinus. 



I will conclude this chapter with an anecdote a 

 propos of the so-called Hemp Nettle, a Wayside Weed 

 which is commoner here than at home. I once won 

 a wager over this Labiate. It was on this wise : 

 Some forty or fifty of us were enjoying a holiday in 

 Derbyshire. It was a Natural History excursion. 

 Most of the people were intent upon rocks and fossils, 

 faults and anticlinals ; but there were a few plant 

 hunters among the party. Mrs. G., in particular, was 

 an accomplished field-botanist ; she was a school- 

 mistress, and a neighbour of mine. Some of the 

 excursionists were bringing flowers to this lady to 

 learn the names. I said to a geologist walking beside 

 me, " Mrs. G. knows the British flora well ; I believe 

 that she could name any plant with her eyes shut "- 

 a rash statement. The fossil-collector offered to 

 wager his geological hammer against my vasculum 

 that she could not do it. I recklessly accepted the 

 challenge. Mrs. G. was unwilling to make the attempt; 

 she did not think it possible to name a plant without 

 seeing it. But we persuaded her to try. 



While her husband was tying a handkerchief over 

 her eyes, the other man went to ths roadside to select 



