A DAY’S BOTANIZING ABOUT TRING. 107 
the same state. Cephalanthera grandiflora grew on the hangers 
and was fine, but not nearly so plentiful as we have noticed it 
about Dorking and Shere. Campanula Trachelium grew here 
and there, but it had not then flowered. We came upon a large 
patch of Allium ursinum, and another of Adoxa moschatellina. 
The downs produced a few straggling plants of Hippocrepis 
comosa, and plenty of Asperula Cynanchica, with both white and 
pink flowers ; but not a single specimen of Phyteuma orbiculare 
nor of Campanula glomerata was as yet in sight. We forgot to 
mention Hordeum sylvaticum, which we did see in the woods. 
The banks abounded with a cream-coloured variety of Helian- 
themum vulgare, and with ‘the blue, pink, and white varieties of 
Polygala vulgaris ; but here the Bee Orchis and the Fly never 
once condescended to appear and cheer our drooping spirits. 
The common plant of the cornfields was Scandix Pecten-veneris, 
which was very plentiful both in flower and fruit. We made 
one botanical remark, which is not without interest, viz. that we 
had never before nor in any other place seen the common Haw- 
thorn and the Elder blossoming together. In and about London 
the Hawthorn was barely in full flower on the first of June, and 
the Elder began to show its flowers nearly at its usual period of 
flowering, Midsummer-day ; yet these two plants were not in 
flower together in London. Here the flowers of the Hawthorn 
were soon over, for the bright sunny days and the cool east winds 
are not favourable to the permanence of blossoms. A week at 
least ere the Elder flowers began to open, all the blossom on the 
Hawthorn had disappeared. But at Tring the Hawthorn was in a 
different state: here we saw it on elevated and bleak situations 
where its period of flowering had been retarded to St. Barnaby’s 
' Day, when the days are at the longest; here we observed it with 
the Elder, both in full flower, a rare fact and worth recording. 
We do not wish it to be understood that we were disappointed 
in the neighbourhood of Tring as the sphere of a botanical ram- 
ble; but even if our botanical hopes were not fully realized, our 
love of the picturesque was abundantly satisfied by the scenery of 
this neighbourhood. From one of the lofty eminences about 
half-way between Tring and Wendover, looking to the north- 
west over the vale of Aylesbury, and to the west over the domain 
of Ashridge, we thought that we had never seen more lovely 
prospects, nearly as varied as those in the neighbourhood of far- 
