24 INTRODUCTION. 



immediate vicinity of Harleston, render his records by far the 

 most valuable of the past. 



Two names connected svith the town itself deserve a men- 

 tion that of the Rev. H. Tilney, who occasionally resided 

 here in the early part of the present century, and contributed 

 many localities of rare plants to the Botanist's Guide; and that 

 of the late Mr. James Muskett, whose entomological pursuits 

 brought him into close contact with the wild flowers, and 

 enabled him to give much interesting and trustworthy in- 

 formation. 



(ii.) The Harleston Botanical Club. In the autumn of the 

 year 1882 the writer became acquainted for the first time 

 with this Eastern county. Having made some personal obser- 

 vations of the Flora during the following year, on his sugges- 

 tion it was resolved, in the spring of 1884, to form a small 

 club of working botanists resident in the town and neighbour- 

 hood for the purpose of collecting information upon its flower- 

 ing plants and ferns. A short account of methods used and 

 results attained may perhaps suggest to other lovers of nature 

 the formation of a similar parochial society for the recreation 

 and instruction of its members, as well as for the general 

 advancement of science. Nor was there anything in the 

 existing local circumstances which predicted or insured the 

 success of the Harleston Club ; on the contrary, from the first 

 the difficulty of . combined work was foreseen, owing to the 

 various occupations of the observers. Interleaved copies of 

 the London Catalogue of British Plants were, however, sup- 

 plied for independent use, while the members offered to share 

 in common such books and knowledge of the subject as they 

 possessed for the identification of doubtful discoveries. At 

 the end of the year the catalogues were collected, and their 

 contents tabulated in one schedule, which was circulated 

 amongst the "workers. Such is the course which has been 

 pursued in the main for the four years during which the Club 

 has existed, though, as the Flora has been more completely 

 recorded, fewer annual additions have required shorter 

 schedules. Apart from frequent walks in company, two 

 general meetings have usually been held each year, at which 

 results have been announced, reports collected, and plans for 

 extended observations submitted and accepted. In order to 

 encourage a systematic study of botany, the Club, for two 

 successive years, offered prizes at the Harleston Horticultural 

 Society's shows for specimens of plants belonging to the natural 

 orders JRosacece, Compositfe, Juncacece, Cyperacece, Graminew, 

 and for aquatic plants, but the response did not warrant their 

 continuance. 



In the first year (1884) the area under observation was 



