common here, and, as I found afterwards, 
throughout the country. It seems an ear- 
lier plant than even F. olitoria, and I con- 
fess myself unable to discriminate the two 
by their habit, though the structure of the 
seed is so perfectly distinct, that there can- 
not be a doubt of the species. 
I was told at my inn at Caen, (a very 
good one, the Hotel de France,) that there 
was only one diligence in the day to Bay- 
eux, and that it set off at six in the morn- 
ing. I however found that there were two 
starting at eight in the morning, and another 
at four in the afternoon. I mention this, in 
order to observe, that the travellerin France 
must not depend on any information on 
these points, which is not derived from the 
bureaux belonging to the establishment, 
or at least from the inn at which the dili- 
gence stops. 
We arrived at Bayeux at half-past ten. 
I visited the cathedral, which is a very fine 
edifice, with some remarkable peculiarities, 
and after looking at the celebrated ta- 
pestry, took a walk, which was unre- 
warded with any botanical success. At 
Caen the country is open, while at Bayeux 
it is all enclosed, full of orchards; small 
pollard oaks abounding in the hedge-rows; 
and without any marked elevation whence 
we might obtain a general view of the 
country. On the 9th I proceeded to Cou- 
tances, passing by the way through a forest 
of Beech, and some very agreeable and 
well-varied ground. Here also is a fine 
Rome grows what I considered a variety 
of Stellaria media, with ten stamens, which 
I had supposed to be the plant of Tenore ; 
but finding the proportionate length of pe- 
tal and sepal (the character pointed out by 
that Botanist) to be very variable, I paid 
it no further attention. I now consider it 
a different species, resting its claims to 
distinction on the number of Stamens, and 
on the length of the flower-stalk, which 
exceeds the leaf; while, in the common 
ACCOUNT OF A BOTANICAL EXCURSION INTO BRITTANY. 
species, though it lengthens conside 
more than five, and in ninety-nine flowers 
out of a hundred, did not exceed three, 
so that the flower is more showy. 
barea precor is not uncommon in culti- — 
vated land in this part of Normandy, and 
Ranunculus parviflorus is very plentiful. 
I observed Convallaria multiflora in the 
woods, and a Narcissus out of flower, which 
I could not determine. There was also a 
variety of Anemone nemorosa, with blue | 
flowers. Ihave heard of such an appear-- 
ance near Tonbridge Wells, but this 1s the 
first time I ever met with it. Something - 
remains yet to be done with respect to c0 
lours in Botany. Many flowers vary ("m 
much in this respect, but still within cer- - 
tain limits. We have no blue Rose nor y 
blue Ranunculus; and even m whole : 
tribes the colour never transgresses a fine : 
but distinct limit. : 
Some springy groun m 
ontodon palis Scorzonera ange 
and Cnicus pratensis? or perhaps = 2 
berosus (bulbosus of Duby), for it was NO *. 
in flower, and I did not particularly om : 
mine it, and C. tuberosus wi m | 
i i f France. E 
most common in this part o Mee C 
the roots, : 
while the — 
is no great difference betwee 
pratensis has thickened fibres to 
which might be called tubers, pes 
leaves of C. tuberosus are sometimes h "t 
divided. On a heath there were @ a 
plants of Erica ciliaris, but of course ge 
in flower, and in some pools, Alisma 1 x 
tans. All these are common productions 2 
of the North-West of France, as pc 
Linaria repens, Fumaria intermedia, m 
lopendrium Ceterach, and Cotyledon p 
