8 LUNDY ISLAND. 



between the loose stones the navelwort shot out its 

 singular spikes, each springing perpendicularly from 

 a bed of succulent shield-like leaves, and fringed to 

 its tall summit with little drooping bells of yellowish 

 white. The situation seems particularly agreeable to 

 this plant, for we found it in many parts of the island 

 growing in great luxuriance, some of the spikes eigh- 

 teen or twenty inches in height, and thickly covered 

 with flowers. The herb Eobert, the bitter vetch, and 

 the purple sandwort, displayed their unobtrusive but 

 pretty blossoms among the herbage ; and the crimson 

 bells of the common heath, already opened, were 

 fringing the edges of the slope above our heads. The 

 sheep Vbit scabious, a lovely flower, with globose 

 heads of azure blue, was not wanting; and the sur- 

 face of the rock was covered here and there with 

 broad patches of the white stone-crop, whose white, or 

 rather carnation-coloured, starry blossoms were con- 

 spicuously beautiful. But more prominent than all 

 was that noblest of British flowers, the tall foxglove, 

 flourishing in special luxuriance and beauty, while 

 fragrance was diffused from scores of honeysuckles 

 that climbed and sprawled on every side. 



All these and other plants, some greeting us as old 

 acquaintances, others possessing the charm of com- 

 parative novelty, were an agreeable contrast to the 

 desolation and barrenness we had pictured to our- 

 selves as reigning here. And as we proceeded we 

 saw pleasant traces of feminine taste, for gentle hands 

 had been busy in sowing seeds of stocks, and wall- 



