Whaley- Bridge. 45 



cially those which are accompanied by dissections of 

 important organs ; while those collections which bear no 

 indication of exact study, or which contain an undue 

 and unnecessary proportion of the species technically 

 termed " rare," are rejected. Happily, near Manches- 

 ter, there are none of the very " rare " plants, the 

 uncommon ones being simply those gipsy-like species 

 which have no certain abode anywhere, springing up 

 as weeds and accompaniments of tillage, just as sea-gulls, 

 blown out of their course by strong winds, have many 

 times been seen at Whaley Range. 



Crossing at the little weir, we next ascend through 

 the plantation, and find a path that creeps along the side 

 of the hill, half obscured by the flowery turf. On the 

 opposite side of the defile is a grove of larches it is a 

 treat to look at. Presently, at a little promontory, over- 

 looking Kiss-field bridge and a white gate that marks 

 the Whaley-Bridge and Taxal road, the path is lost, 

 and here we turn back, upwards and leftwards, so as to 

 reach the farm at the top. On a summer's evening, 

 when the hills are delicately blue with distance, and 

 the nearer ones are clothed with tender and changing 

 lights, and the reservoir below seems a lake from the 

 hand of nature, so wild and diversified are its borders, 

 and the air seems to listen, for we are not now where 

 birds abound standing on this sweet hill-crest, we may 

 fancy ourselves in Cumberland. The scenery has been 

 compared even to that of Switzerland. An excellent 



