ROBERT POCOCK. 63 



Phillips, Yicar of Grain, has been lately appointed 

 curate (under the Rev. Dr. Watson, rector, late keeper 

 of the academy on Shooter's Hill). 



" Sunday, 22nd. Walked to Chalk Church to seethe 

 ridiculous figure of a buffoon (with a jug in one hand 

 and a purse holden by the other arm, seemingly laugh- 

 ing at another figure placed above somewhat like a 

 Merry Andrew, as he is in the act of looking through 

 his legs) placed over the entrance of the porch into 

 the church, within which is seen the remains of the 

 basin wherein the holy water was placed. In my walk 

 I saw out for the first time this season a land lizard, 

 called an eft in Kent. My son tells me he saw a water 

 eft the day the ship was launched. The flowers in 

 bloom this day were shepherd's purse (bursa pastoris) , 

 barren strawberry, dandelion, sweet white and purple 

 and dog violets, blue veronica, lesser celandine or pile- 

 wort, and primrose. Of garden flowers were spotted 

 lungwort, beautiful blue veronica, blue and yellow 

 crocus, daffodils, snowdrops, polyanthus, and coltsfoot. 

 The sharp winds have damaged the leaves of my fly 

 and bee orchis, but have not affected the spider orchis ; 

 so that it is a good time to go in search of it. The leaves 

 lie close to the ground, and are not above an inch 

 long and half an inch broad. Neither the butterfly, 

 birdVnest, latifolia maculata, or canopsea orchises are 

 yet seen above the ground. 



"Easter Day, 29th. Wind blew strong. Walked to 

 Hollow Dean Field, Sutton, and got four or five roots 

 of the lizard orchis now four or five inches high. 

 Saw in my walk three brimstone butterflies, and one 

 scarce insect like a spider. Great ants out, and cock 

 chamnchc s. 



