MARITIME BIRDS. 2S3 



(Trichonema Columnce), the smallest British species of 

 the Iris family, occurs in one or two places * on the 

 south coast of England, where it finds, perhaps, its most 

 northern locality. It belongs to a genus whose species 

 gradually increase in number and in gay clothing as 

 you approach the sun, and which has its maximum at 

 the Cape of Good Hope, where many sorts, with rich 

 purple, golden, or milk-white flowers of large size span- 

 gle the roadsides, or cover the barren ground near the 

 sea with a many-coloured sheet. Several of the smaller 

 Orchidece are found in similar places, especially Orchis 

 morio, whose dark purple flowers are among the first 

 heralds of summer, and Lady's-tresses (Spiranthes au- 

 tumnalis), which scents the grass in the hottest months. 

 In rambling thus along the shore, whether it be the 

 bold headland, the sandy down, or the flat beach that 

 engages our notice, plants are not the only objects that 

 arrest the eye of a naturalist. Ever and anon his 

 attention is attracted by the appearance of some bird, 

 either one of the regular denizens of the coast, or a pass- 

 ing visitant. The birds which we meet with near the 

 sea are so numerous, that (as I am not going to write a 

 bird-history) I shall not notice them all, and those which 

 I shall mention must be spoken of in a very cursory 

 manner. Many that visit wooded shores belong more 

 properly to woods and groves. The singing birds are of 

 this description, with the exception of the Lark, which 

 frequents open pastures near the sea as much as those 

 further inland, and may be heard pouring out his shrill 

 melody above our heads through the live-long summer 



* Dawlish Warren, Devonshire. 



