i88 THE WILD-FLOWERS OF SELBORNE 



in the ivy-mantled towers, and sparrows chirp merrily 

 in the ruined hall. 



Such are some of the changes which have passed 

 over the "Ancient Market-To wne " in the course of 

 centuries. The " heathy ground mixt with ferae," 

 mentioned by Leland in 1540, when he visited Mr. 

 Wriothesley's house, and of which the greater part of 

 the parish then consisted, remained in pretty much the 

 same condition as he saw it till within recent years, 

 when the soil was discovered to be good for the culti- 

 vation of strawberries. And now most of the " heathy 

 ground" has been broken up and measured out into 

 garden-plots ; and where the Royal fern Osmunda 

 Regalis once abounded, and black game might be 

 seen, are acres of strawberry plants. Still much 

 rough ground and wild stretches of country remain, 

 especially towards the sea, and rare wild-flowers and 

 uncommon birds may occasionally be met with. 



In the dense reed-beds that fringe the river the 

 beautiful nests of the reed-warbler may be found, sus- 

 pended between three or four tall stems, and waving 

 in the wind. Numbers of gulls visit the haven, and 

 several species of wild-duck, and the common cormo- 

 rant, and other sea-fowl. Even the redshank occa- 

 sionally lays its eggs in the thick tussocks of grass 

 which abound in the marshes ; while on the seashore, 

 among the stones of the beach, the ringed dotterel 

 deposits her eggs, and difficult indeed are they to find, 

 so exactly do they resemble the pebbles around. Near 

 Hammond's Bridge, built, as tradition affirms, with 

 materials from the old monastery, a few plants of the 

 beautiful " summer snowflake " still remain. Some 

 years ago, before people took to transplanting it into 

 their gardens, this rare plant was not uncommon along 



