242 LIFE AND SPORT IN HAMPSHIRE 



Such is the scene in its grander feature of colour and 

 form. 



But it is far from all bugloss and poppy along the 

 crests and sides, and in the hollows of these heights. 

 Marching with the bugloss is a large field that has 

 returned to Nature, its soil being too poor for farming 

 in these days. And here is acre on acre of yellow- 

 green or is it green-yellow ? flower spikes of the 

 wild mignonette ; with purple knapweed and thistle ; 

 and, in one corner, the delicate blossoms of drop-wort, 

 charming spiraea of the chalk downs. Even these 

 do not complete the flower census of these wild 

 nursery gardens. Here and there among the mig- 

 nonette and the dropwort, with its pink-tinted buds 

 and creamy white opened petals, the dry ground is 

 carpeted with thyme, which has spread thither from 

 the unploughed turfs of the downs. These, however, 

 are the ordinary details of scent and colour which 

 are to be found all over the chalk downs in July. 

 The sheeted bugloss is a very different thing. It 

 is one of those flower communities or societies that 

 spring up and thrive on a particular bit of wild 

 or half-waste ground, through some favouring causes 

 we can rarely account for. Union in these cases is 

 strength. By bulk of seed the bugloss overcomes 

 and drives forth all its rivals, as scarlet poppy does 

 on the next wave of down land. By its bulk of 

 blossom it draws the bees from miles around, and 

 I cannot doubt, listening to the hum in these blue 



