360 Yorkshire Xatiindisfs at Boives. 



mosses have grown and decayed, leaving a matrix of virgin soil 

 as the heritage of higher forms of plant life, we find in abundance 

 the Vv'ithered stems of the vernal Whitlow Grass ; to the foot- 

 stalks are still attached the middle valve, an exact miniature of 

 the silvery ' Honesty ' used for decorating the rooms of poor 

 and rich.'"^ The two outer valves of the Whitlow Grass sprang- 

 off one dry day last April ; the seeds then set at liberty are now 

 snugly ensconced in the crevices of the walls ; when the sunshine 

 of P^ebruary comes round they will wake up and repeat the 

 process. 



Several other species of Crucifers are here in company — 

 Shepherd's Purse, hairy Rock Cress, thale Cress, and hairy 

 Bitter Cress. Here and there on these walls are the rosettes of 

 several Hawkweeds, but as yet no flowers. Rue-leaved Saxifrage 

 is also abundant upon old walls : Gerarde calls it ' Naile Grass,' 

 and adds — ' it hath been taken to heale the disease of the nailes 

 called a whitlow, whereof it tooke his name, as also naile wort.' 



Many of the walls surrounding the houses and gardens in 

 Bowes are now clothed thickly with the remains of the lowly 

 plants I have named, which helps one to imagine how beautiful 

 they are in the months of April and May. Their profusion 

 is indicative of a very pure atmosphere. The breezes are, I " 

 think, the balmiest that I have ever breathed. x\ll the time we 

 were there fresh air and fresh winds and sunshine were abundant. 

 It was a grand treat to stand in the midst of haymakers hard at 

 work under these conditions, and drink in as much as possible 

 of the re-invigorating^ air. 



The lane-sides were a constant source of delight, or I should 

 have said road-sides, for they are broad, the roads themselves 

 are not wide, but they are wide enough for the traffic, and are 

 kept in excellent repair ; plenty of hard limestone abounds for 

 this purpose. It is owing to this fact in a great measure that 

 vegetation on the wide grass margins that line each side of the 

 roads is so abundant and varied. Many of our rarer wild 

 flowers grow in the greatest profusion, }et they are quite 

 normal in form and colour. This cannot be said of very many 

 plants that grow in narrow and steep-sided valleys or gorges 

 where moisture is usually abundant. This appears to be the 

 case in Deepdale, judging- from several specimens brought in by 

 various members. Here the giant Bell-flower, or Throatwort as 

 I like to call it, grows to a very large size and produces 



* It is called 'Honesty' from its transparency. We can see throiig-h 

 it. From this I conclude that it did not orig'inate in Yorkshire. 



Naturalist, 



