Manchester, &j*c., Essex County, Massachusetts. 105 



spring, flows such an abundance of water as afi'ords sufficient 

 moisture and nutriment to many species of mosses, which 

 then delight themselves in their fresher foliage, or else in 

 the developed fruit-stalks. A locality so narrow in area, like 

 this, is another instance, among many of the secluded and 

 almost solitary habits of particular plants. Attempts to 

 transplant the Draba to similar spots near by, have been 

 made by Dr. Nichols, but I believe, with no permanent suc- 

 cess. 



By this time, the setting sun and the fatigue of the day, 

 reminded us of a return home, each pleased with our adven- 

 tures and exploits. To gain as many objects as possible, to 

 collect as many species of plants, or kind of specimens as 

 could have been gathered together, you are to understand, 

 reader, was not our object ; the rather to inspect for ourselves, 

 the features and products of that section of the county in 

 which we are residing. 



The third, and last exploration for the season, was made 

 on Tuesday, the twenty-eighth of August, 1849. It was the 

 purpose of the party to go over some of the botanical 

 grounds so often visited by Mr. Oakes. From want of pre- 

 cise knowledge of his favorite localities, and with no guide, 

 as in the first instance, to lead us to the most favorable spots ; 

 added to these, the continued drought, this expedition was 

 not so profitable as the preceding. Very few plants were 

 detected, and those most conspicuous were seen on the bor- 

 ders of the road in Hamilton, Essex and Manchester, of 

 which, the tall cylindrical spikes of Sanguisorba canadensis, 

 and the rich golden flowers of Bldens chrysanthemoides, 

 in moist places in fields, were particularly remarkable. To 

 some of the party, the lovely Rhexia virg'inica proved a 

 novelty, while some rosy flowers of the Polygonum sagit- 

 tatum, which, stretching itself over the tops of the other 

 plants that were growing on the edge of a little stream, 

 mingled well with the slender white spikes of the water 

 pepper, (Polyg : hydi'opiper L.), the splendid flowers of the 



VOL. XVI. NO. III. 14 



