The Bramhall Valley. 23 



pany. Attached to stones beneath the surface of the 

 water, in this stream grows the necklace-weed, Batracho- 

 sper'mum monilifor'me, concerning which, more anon. 

 Soon, upon the right, appears Jackson's farm, a building 

 in the old " magpie" style of architecture ; and upon the 

 left, in the month of May, are sycamores covered with 

 their new foliage, wild cherries, white with snowy bloom, 

 and golden-budded oaks, that half conceal the rough 

 and precipitous banks, which in their season are decked 

 with bluebells. Lower down, where the cleft widens 

 and deepens, it is lost in hawthorn, and entangled wood- 

 bine, and dog-roses, at midsummer covered with flowers. 

 Soon after this comes a broad meadow, with a bank to 

 lean against, while we examine our gathered treasures ; 

 and on quitting it, just as we bend leftwards to cross the 

 rivulet, in front is venerable Bramhall itself, seated 

 elegantly on the crest of the opposite hill. This last 

 field abounds with the " meadow brown " butterfly, Hip- 

 par 'chia jani'ra; while in and about the bank are many 

 other curious insects, such as the red-tailed humble-bee, 

 Bom'bus lapida'ris ; that beautiful iridescent fly, the 

 Chry'sis igni'ta, and the solitary wasp. The Chrysis 

 is parasitic both upon the bees and upon the wasps, 

 which latter simple creatures, owing to one enemy and 

 another, must lead rather a troubled life. They con- 

 struct little tunnels for their abode, depositing in them, 

 for private use, the grubs that they find on the goose- 

 berry bushes. But while absent, with a view to increas- 



