MALVERN NATURALISTS’ FIELD CLUB. 113 
what occurred at the meetings held previous to the closing of the 
field business in October, 1854. 
The objects of this Club are multifarious—botanical, geological, 
entomological, ete. The meetings are held monthly, from March 
to October inclusive ; and we may judge from the anniversary 
address, that they are reunions of great attraction. We beg to 
present our readers with the following extract :— 
Tam indebted to Mr. Dowdeswell, of Pull Court, for calling my at- 
tention to a peat deposit containing many freshwater shells, with remains 
of the Hazel and Birch, from a depth of twelve or fourteen feet below the 
surface. . . . Several marine plants, and amongst them the salt 
Marsh Rush (Scirpus maritimus) still grows here. . . . Great excite- 
ment was caused by Mr. Lees finding two of the rarest plants in Worces- 
tershire, the blue Mareh Vetchling (Lathyrus palustris), and the single- © / 
flowered marsh thistle (Onicus pratensis). Ours was not the only excite- 
ment caused by these rare wild flowers. It appears that no sooner had the 
account of them appeared in the report of the ‘ Worcester Herald,’ than 
four botanists of the “faithful city” posted in all haste to Upton-on- 
Severn, and, notwithstanding a pouring rain, walked the Langdon Marshes 
all day in vain. The Lathyrus was chary of her favours, and their search 
was unrewarded. Not long afterwards there was held at Malvern a gal- 
lant flower-show : rare hot-house plants, and brave specimens of the most 
showy flowers of the parterre filled the marquee; while in a remote 
corner, among a collection of wild flowers, and placed in water contained 
in a common soda-water bottle, was a small metallic-looking pea! I doubt 
much if more attention was excited by any one flower of that brilliant 
collection than was by the Lathyrus palustris of the Langdon Marsh. 
The paper by Edwin Lees, Esq., on the plants that more par- 
ticularly flourish on the Silurian limestones, is more within the 
scope of our periodical than the geological paper by Professor 
Phillips. From the former we will give a few extracts. 
There are many phzenogamic plants that indicate Limestone in the lo- 
calities where they grow, or they flourish most luxuriantly on a calcareous 
soil, so that an experienced botanist recognizes them and knows the nature 
of the ground he is on from this very circumstance. The Traveller’s Joy 
(Clematis Vitalba), the Lady’s Finger (Anthyllis Vulneraria), Saintfoin 
(Onobrychis sativa), Yellow-wort (Chlora perfoliata), Autumnal Gentian 
(Gentiana Amarella), Wild Marjoram (Origanum vulgare), and the Way- 
faring Tree (Vibwrnwn Lantana), all abundant in this district, are familiar 
instances, and many others might be named. 
News) VOI n aE: Q 
