403 



SEARCH FOR HEPATICS AT HAWES. 



WILLIAM IIKNRY PEARSON, 



Manchester. 



On 3rd Aiig-ust I left home in the early morning- for Hawes, and 

 was joined by two botanical friends, Messrs. Jackson and 

 Wetton. Time being- short, we hastened to what we thought 

 would be good ground, and made our way to Aysgill Force. 

 We picked up an old horse shoe, and were followed by a frisky 

 black kitten, which we had a difficulty in frightening back. 

 With these good omens we pressed forward through fields, and 

 finally found our stream, the banks of which were on the one 

 side ornamented with magnificent tufts of the large Campanula 

 latifolia, and on the other with beds of C. rotundifolia , with 

 flowers the size of which I had never seen before. Our first 

 collectings was done at a spring by the path side, the margin 

 of which was clothed with Jiuigermania riparia Tayl. and the 

 innermost recesses \\ith large patches of Conocephaliis conicus L. , 

 very fine, but, of course, barren. We walked by the margin of 

 the stream, finding it impossible to get down to the bed until 

 we got to the Force, where we descried a path used by fisher- 

 men. This we with difficulty descended, but found we could 

 only proceed a few yards on account of the precipitous rocks. 

 On the other side of the stream were moss-covered boulders, 

 and the side of the water was green with mosses and 

 hepatics. We took our boots and stockings off" and rolled 

 our nether garments up as far as we could and got safely 

 across. Immediately ov^ rocks below the Fall we gathered 

 patches of the large form of Jiingermania riparia, in fine con- 

 dition, with male flowers. This Avas the commonest species, 

 assuming different forms according to the habitat of the plant. 

 Some of the Continental botanists are disposed to make species 

 of the smaller forms; certainly when the specimens are dried 

 they look verv different, but I have very little doubt they are 

 one and the same species, slightly diff"erentiated by their habitat. 

 On two of the rocks in the stream I collected specimens of 

 Scapana cequiloba (Schwaegr. ), looking very distinct from the 

 larger form, which is now known as S. aspera Bern. The 

 colour of some plants was reddish, and very different from 

 the plants of 6". aspera which I had obtained in quantity 

 at Abergele. Mr. Jackson collected on another boulder 

 small specimens of Radiila complanata (L.), which I thought 



1903 October i. 



