34 Bolam: The Natural History of Hornsea Mere. 
arundinacea), and the monotony of the dense beds of Reeds 
and Reed Grass is varied by a little Skull-cap (Scutellaria 
galericulata), Gipsy-wort (Lycopus), Great Spearwort, Marsh 
Figwort, Milk Parsley (Peucedanum palustre), and Sium 
latifolium, some of them being forced up to an unusual height 
in order to reach the light amongst their tall companions. | 
Round the landward sides of the Mere some of the botanical 
features are the profusion of Spotted and Marsh-Orchis 
(O. mascula and latifolia), Meadow Rue, Valerians (V. dioica 
and officinalis), Lychnis flos-cucli, Ragworts (here called 
“Segrams’), Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia), and 
Lady’s Smock. In the woods, Enchanter’s Nightshade, and 
Tway-blade are much in evidence, and Epipactus latifolia was 
noticed. 
The Reeds are of unusually strongth growth, some of those 
near the Round House being measured last year and found to 
exceed 14 feet in height, while this season they promise to be 
even taller. 
I suppose 1912 will be long remembered as a bad season. 
When I arrived at Wassand much of the land was so dry and 
hard that the farmers could not plough it, nor get their corn 
sown ; while after the rains started they were so’ continuous 
that it left agriculture in little better plight. Some oats were 
not sown till well onin May ; many bean fields had to be plough- 
ed up as useless from “ blight’; and up to 20th July farmers 
were still trying to sow turnips, and most of the hay was out, 
much of it uncut. 
Up to the middle of May the weather remained dry, and, 
though it was cold, birds did fairly well. On 22nd May, rain 
and floods began, and it continued wet throughout the remain- 
der of the season. As some record of this may be of interest, 
as well to illustrate my remarks as for future reference, a copy of 
a summary of his records at Sigglesthorne (only a mile or so 
west of the Mere), kindly supplied to me by Captain Bethell, 
R.N., will be appended. As more particularly remarked upon 
‘under the headings of the various birds, we had many nests, 
especially of water-fowl, drowned by the floods and storm of 
22nd to 24th May, floods which were repeated at short intervals 
afterwards, though most of the harm to wild birds was then 
already done. 
The level of the water in the Mere is regulated by a sluice 
at Hornsea, the key to the gates of which is kept by Mr. Holmes 
at his boating establishment, as agent for and on behalf of 
Captain Constable, the sole owner of the Mere. The sluice- 
gates are seventeen inches high, so that, when they are closed, 
the water in the Mere can be raised by that amount. Of late 
years they have been, for the most part, kept closed, the 
owner of Wassand preferring to have the water-level high. 
Naturalist, 
