6 



hairs. An insect, when it gets entangled amongst these 

 viscid glands, struggles to obtain its liberty, and, in doing 

 so, draws the glands in close contact with it. Darwin, by his 

 experiments on the leaves of the drosera, clearly shows that 

 this little plant of our bogs is capable of digesting meat as 

 well as insect life; and shows conclusively it is adapted 

 for catching insects and feeding on their decomposing 

 matter. 



Coming to a depression on the left, before descending 

 the steep hill to Grange, we have the finest display of 

 lobelia dortmanna in the entire district. Borrowdale is rich 

 in wild flowers, but not rarities. One beautiful alpine 

 plant, however, (silene maritimd) is found near Grange 

 Bridge; and further up the valley may be found geum rivale 

 (water avens) and geum urbanum (wood avens). Some of 

 the following are peculiarities : Adoxa moschatallina, a 

 small, insignificant plant in the hedgerows as the name 

 denotes, adoxa, without glory ; chcsrophyllum temulentum 

 (cherville), galium aparine (goose grass), galium cruciatum 

 (crosswort), galium saxatile (bed straw), thyrmis serpyllum 

 (creeping thyme), arctium lappa (burdock), polvgonum 

 bistorta (snake weed), foxgloves, and ferns innumerable. 

 Chenopodium bonus Henricus (or good King Henry), used 

 in olden times as a vegetable, still adheres to these ancient 

 hamlets. Nowhere can be found growing in such rich 

 profusion as in the meadow at the head of Derwentwater 

 the nymphtza alba and nuphar lutea (the white and yellow 

 water lilies), with equisetum sylvaticum (the giant horsetail) 

 predominating among the flowers so beautifully cushioned 

 on the still waters in the depression. The meadow sweet 

 (spireea ulmarid) appears at its best in this locality, also 

 ragged robin (lychnis flos cucidi^) with its rosy purple flowers; 

 Claytonia ibcrica and a/bus, pretty pink and white flowers, 

 as seen cultivated in the cottage gardens of Borrowdale ; 



