On the Heights of some of the Cotswold Hills. 255 



being more orbicular, 8 lines long, 7 lines broad, on a channeled 

 petiole 2 lines in length, the older ones being always incano- 

 velutinous, the younger of a deep ochreous colour ; the branchlets 

 are very much crowded, and not longer than 1 or 2 inches ; the 

 axils much closer, with more copious foliage, hence the flowers 

 appear densely crowded : the corolla is of a deep violet-blue, 7 or 

 8 lines in length, broader in proportion ; its border is somewhat 

 oblique, with five rounded lobes, the anterior one more reflected, 

 the two posterior lobes more erect ; it is nearly smooth outside, 

 and very pilose within. Another characteristic feature is, that 

 the upper moiety of the ovarium, and the lower portion of the 

 style, are densely covered with white hairs, the basal gland being 

 smooth ; it has constantly five stamens, of which the three anterior 

 are somewhat shorter. The hairs of the corolla and pistillum 

 are simple and articulated, those of the calyx stellately plumose, 

 as in the rest of the plant*. 



XXIV. — Heights of some points of the Cotswold Hills, with some 

 experiments with the Aneroid Barometer. By W. Henry 

 Hyett, Esq., F/R.S.f 



A few months ago, in a formal Report, an Inspector under the 

 Board of Health stated that " Cheltenham has been estimated to 

 stand 200 ft. above the level of the sea, and the height of the 

 Cotswold Hills above the same level is about 300 ft. :" — he meant 

 probably to say " above the level of Cheltenham ;" thus making 

 the absolute height of these hills 500 feet above the sea — still 

 an estimate rather wide of the mark when given under the nose 

 of Cleeve Cloud, which exceeds 1000. 



It is true the case required no accuracy, but such a degree of 

 ^accuracy could scarcely have appeared had a more general 

 knowledge of the trutlj prevailed in this part of the country. 

 Indeed it has been for years matter of complaint that even the 

 relative heights of the several remarkable points of our Cotswolds 

 were unknown — Painswick, Birdlip, Leckhampton and Cleeve 

 Cloud each having their respective champions, but with no 

 authority to quote, nor umpire to determine between them. 



Having consulted some of the scientific Members of the Cots- 

 wold Club on the point without success, I ventured to suggest 

 that they at least should try to set it at rest. The coincidence of 

 the present Ordnance Survey for the improvement of the river 

 Severn, having their signal staffs actually standing on the very 



* A drawing of this plant with sectional details will be shown in plate 

 58 of the ' Illustr. South Amer. Plants.' 



f Read to the Cotswold Nat. Hist. Club, Sept. 27, 1849. 



