WHITE VARIETIES OF BRITISH PLANTS 149 



abundant, and there were hundreds of plants of the 

 scarce and delicate musk-orchis (Herminium monar- 

 chis, Br.), the flowers of which smell like sandal-wood. 

 The bee-orchis, too, was plentiful, and before long I 

 came across the object of my search. There was the 

 variety albida, conspicuous with its pure white sepals 

 among its more gaily coloured companions, and grow- 

 ing, not in isolation, but distributed in fair numbers 

 over the slope. Indeed the strange and rare variety 

 gave a distinct character to the down, already dis- 

 tinguished as the home of the white Gymnadenia and 

 the fragrant musk-orchis. Every summer I visited the 

 little colony of plants, and once or twice since I have 

 left the district I have returned at the right season to 

 see my old parishioners on the windswept downs. 



