Yorkshire Naturalists at. Great Ayton. 327 
growing much faster in its earlier years than the common 
Swiss Larch. The ground-vegetation of these higher woods 
is heathy.- One old open Pine plantation on the moor edge had 
Hair Grass (Aira flexuosa) forming a dense turf. In a recent 
Pine clearing, the plants formerly kept in check by the tree- 
canopy were very vigorous in the open, e.g., Bilberry and 
Crowberry ; Tvientalis europea and some of the woodland ferns 
were still present as vestiges of the shade vegetation of pine 
woods. 
The woods of the Airyholme Valley are mainly on heavy 
clays with numerous wet flushes, many of which were still 
muddy and boggy in spite of the long spell of drought. The 
extent of these flushes is indicated by the abundance of the 
typical flush-trees, Alder and Willow, while their margins 
are characterised by Ash, which in these lower levels is more 
abundant than the Oak. The presence of much Hazel in the 
undergrowth is another feature of the moist Oak-Ash woods 
found in many parts of Britain. The ground vegetation of 
this, the summer period, mainly consists of Oxalis acetosella, 
Mercurialis perennis, Ajuga reptans, Nepeta hederacea, Circea lu- 
tetiana, Asperula odorata, Lastraea Filix-mas and L. Filix-femina, 
while Mr. Ingham named Hylocomium squarrosum and Cather- 
inea undulata as common mosses. As traces of the spring vege- 
tation, Primula, Scilla, and Lychnis diurna could still be dis- 
tinguished. The woods of the Leven valley from Kildale to 
Great Ayton belong to the same moist type with much Alder 
and Ash, and Campanula latifolia was seen occasionally. An 
old plantation of Beech included fine specimens of Silver Fir 
(Abies pectinata) and American Hemlock Fir (Tsuga). 
Mr. W. E. L. Wattam adds :—The first plant to attract 
attention was undoubtedly Matricaria discoidea bordering the 
waste of every highway, and dominating the rough cart tracks 
of pasture and arable ground ; in places so thickly clustered as 
to exclude all other vegetation. It was noted in similar 
situations at Kildale and Easby. The hedgerow bases in the 
immediate vicinity of Great Ayton yielded Geranium pratense, 
Cherophyllum temulum, Vicia Cracca, Calamintha acinos, and 
Betonica officinalis; the latter plant was a conspicuous 
feature of the pastures, as was also Linum catharticum, and 
Crepis virens. (Goutweed and Good King Henry, Musk Mallow 
and Tuberous Comfrey were also noted. The borders of corn- 
fields were denizened by Anthemis arvensis, Anagallis arvensis, 
Polygonum Convolvulus, and Euphorbia exigua. The river 
Leven through the village yielded Veronica Beccabunga, Epi- 
lobium Iursutum, Polygonum amphibium, and Potomogeton 
crispus. The flora of the tram track through Marwood Quarries 
proved most interesting. An abundant plant was Senecio- 
viscosus; Arenaria serpyllifolia, Reseda luteola, Hypericum 
1913, Sept. I. 
