THE ISLE OF WIGHT 243 



extent, it is said to yield some two hundred and fifty 

 species of British plants. Most of these the writer 

 has himself identified. Perhaps the most beautiful 

 and interesting is Scilla autumnalis, L., the autumnal 

 squill, which in tens of thousands stars the sandy turf 

 with its exquisite blue flowers every August and Sep- 

 tember. And, strange to say, this plant is nowhere 

 else to be found in the county of Hampshire. But 

 though there is nothing in his writings to show that 

 Legh Richmond was acquainted with the rarer plants 

 of the Island, yet he frequently alludes to the extra- 

 ordinary number of wayside flowers. In one instance 

 only, so far as we remember, does he mention an 

 uncommon plant by name. In his description of the 

 " stupendously lofty " Culver cliffs, he adds that their 

 " whiteness was occasionally chequered with dark- 

 green masses of samphire which grew there." It is 

 interesting to note that when the writer visited the 

 spot a few summers ago, one large mass of samphire 

 was conspicuous against the white chalk about half- 

 way up the " tremendous perpendicular cliff." 



The cottage of The Dairyman's Daughter perhaps 

 the most popular of Legh Richmond's narratives is 

 still standing beside the highroad that runs between 

 Apse Heath and the village of Arreton. It lies back 

 a little from the road, and is approached, now as then, 

 through " a neat little garden " full of old-fashioned 

 flowers, though the " two large elm-trees " which 

 formerly overshadowed it have disappeared. Since 

 Legh Richmond's time the cottage has been roofed 

 with slate and slightly enlarged, and this unfortunately 

 has given it a somewhat modern appearance. But 

 otherwise the fabric is but little changed. The grey 

 stone walls are covered with ivy and other creepers, 



