Lymm. 79 



below the usual level of the water, owing to drought, 

 the collector of shells may find abundance of those of 

 the fresh-water mussel, Anodon'ta cyg'nea. They are 

 mostly about three inches in length, inside of the pearly 

 and iridescent lustre that we admire so much in sea- 

 shells, and externally of a dark olive-green. Many, 

 however, are more or less injured, the swans being 

 epicureans. 



To avoid returning to Lymm village by the same path, 

 another may be found by going completely past the 

 " dam," and turning to the right, across the fields, when 

 we re-enter the high road by " Cherry-lane." 



A capital walk from the station, and of entirely dif- 

 ferent character, is found by crossing the rails and de- 

 scending to the bank of the Mersey, which here is broad 

 and deep, then keeping along its course for about a 

 quarter of a mile, or till we reach a lane which turns off 

 upon the left. In the first field entered after leaving the 

 lane that leads from the station, grows the (Enan'the 

 croca'ta; we may also find the flowers of weld, if, instead 

 of turning off upon the left, when we come to the second 

 lane, we pursue it for a while, keeping close to the 

 river. The bend of the river at this part, where it em- 

 braces " Rixton Leys," not being used for traffic, (which 

 all goes by the canal,) is the private property of numer- 

 ous birds, and formerly was a noted place for sport. 

 Another peninsula, some two miles farther down, is so 

 quiet, that the shyest birds are comfortable ; the defiling 



