20 Elgee : ' Swiddens ' in North-East Yorkshire. 



from the Swidden, due probably to the dishke which that plant 

 has for growing on a flat. 



In other instances, the plant life of Swiddens surrounded by 

 Calluna are more complicated, and the following may be taken 

 as examples. They occurred on the edge of a flat terminating 

 in a Bracken slope, and their exact situation can be seen from 

 the diagram. 



! ""^"^ "^T 07 y ( p (p <f y y 



? Bmck.cn — -s^ 



P Position of Sw(DD£/vs 



On the side near the Bracken slope, this plant bounded the 

 Swidden, the remaining sides being bounded by Calluna. The 

 principal plants of the edges corresponded to the surrounding 

 vegetation, viz., Calluna on the flat side, and Bracken on the 

 edge of the slope. Bilberry was frequent on the northern half, 

 along the western edge, and in the south-east corner. Towards 

 the centre of the Swidden, the following species occurred : — 

 Erica cinerea (two or three bushes) ; Empetrum nigrum (twO' 

 or three bushes) ; Calluna, in patches ; the Brown Bent 

 {Agrostis canina), a small patch ; and short turfy moss. 



Another Swidden in a similar position, shewed Calluna very 

 dominant on the western half, but not on the eastern edge, 

 where the ground was still without a vestige of plant life. 

 Other species were dwarf Bilberry and Crowberry, whilst 

 patches of the Early Hair Grass [Air a praecox) were not 

 infrequent, occurring with Agrostis canina, and Jnnctis sqnar- 

 rosus occurred sporadically. 



A further Swidden entirely surrounded by Calluna on the 

 same flat shewed Juncus squarrosus mixed with dwarf Calluna 

 dominating at one end with Erica cinerea, Vaccinium Myrtillus, 

 and Agrostis canina occurring sporadically. The Bilberry 

 became very abundant towards the south, and in places the 

 plants were much mixed, forming a short turf of Calluna, 

 V. myrtillus, E. nigrum, Poteniilla Tornientilla, J. squarrosus, 

 Agrostis and Polyfrichum. Where the Bilberry had a tendency 

 to dominate it was interspersed with a quantity of Calluna and 

 /. squarrosus. 



(To be con finned). Naturalist, 



