3 2 The Bramhall Valley. 



that have been made between the old world and the new, 

 Asia sending rice and the sugar-cane to America, and 

 being repaid with maize and the cinchona-tree ; no un- 

 worthy effort is it to diffuse more widely such exquisite 

 plants as the necklace-weed, albeit they are so " little." 

 It is sufficient that they minister to high scientific uses. 

 That they are susceptible of transplantation has been 

 proved in this very instance, the necklace-weed being 

 now in many more places than formerly. With the Man- 

 chester Field-Naturalists, by one of whom* the diffusion 

 has been effected, a leading principle is to protect and 

 encourage. Acting on this, the members are annually re- 

 minded that they may add greatly to the beauty and in- 

 terest of the surrounding country, by taking with them, 

 when setting out on rambles, any surplus roots or seeds 

 they may possess, or be able to collect, especially seeds 

 of native plants that do not grow wild in the neighbour- 

 hood. They are invited also to collect living fresh- 

 water mollusca, and to deposit them in pools, &c., 

 wherein the creatures would be likely to become estab- 

 lished. In parts of the country where the flora and 

 fauna have been less diligently explored, and less 

 thoroughly registered, confusion might be caused by this. 

 But in the neighbourhood of Manchester there is little 

 to fear, all the plants having been ascertained, excepting 

 the fungi ; and the animals of all classes, excepting 

 some of the inferior kinds of insects, being also well 

 W. H. Keys, Esq. 



