426 SOME NATURAL HISTORY RECORDS. 



which Mr. James Groves, F.L.8., the well-known specialist, pro- 

 nounced to be Nitella hyalina. The discovery came as a pleasant 

 surprise to botanists throughout the country, as, up to that time, 

 the plant was not known to occur in the British Isles. On the 

 continent it has a fairly wide distribution, being recorded from 

 France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Holland, 

 and Finland. 



As soon as possible after the discovery, I rowed over the 

 Loe Pool in company with Mr. Hurst for the purpose of 

 delimiting the range of the plant. After carefully dredging a 

 large section of the Pool, we concluded that the little rarity was 

 restricted to an area of not more than twelve square yards. 

 The precise spot, which we named "the Nitella bank," is 

 located as follows : Shortly after entering Penrose lodge-gate 

 a granite block bearing an upright iron rod will be seen in the 

 water, adjacent to the bank. Thirty-five or forty paces up the 

 creek from this block one of the large oak trees shelters a holly 

 bush. Straight out in the Pool from this oak, three or four 

 yards from the bank, and in about four feet of water, the 

 newly-discovered plant occurs in plenty. It is, of course, quite 

 possible that it occupies other portions of the Pool, but only in 

 this portion of Penrose Creek were we able to gather it. 



Although the discovery was left for a stranger, it is 

 interesting to note that a Cornishman came within an ace of 

 being associated with the find. On sending some specimens of 

 the Nitella to Mr. J. D. Enys, F.G.S., I was informed that when 

 fishing in the Loe Pool he had repeatedly dredged up the same 

 " strong smelling weed," and had returned it to the water without 

 dreaming of its rarity. Mr. Enys is also convinced that he has 

 taken it in other portions of the Pool than Penrose Creek. 



Apart from its interest as an addition to the British flora, 

 the discovery of Nitella hyalina in the Loe Pool adds another 

 valuable item to the fascinating subject of plant geography, as 

 it will occupy a place among those continental plants whose 

 range in Great Britain does not extend beyond Cornwall, and in 

 this county are confined to the Western portion. 



Through the kind interest of Mr. J. D. Enys, the editor 

 of the Journal of Botany has granted permission to use the 



