HODGSON : DISAPPEARANCE OF PLANTS IN CUMBERLAND. rt 
near the village of Blennerhasset, on the river Ellen. The 
property then changed hands, and the new proprietor threw 
down the old hedges, drained the meadows, and reduced 
them to arable fields: thus this comparatively rare species 
was extirpated. 
Flowering Rush. (1475. Butomus umbellatus) = ‘Juncus floridus, 
by the river Caldew, at Carlile.’ Non-existent there now. 
Kirkbride, in river Wampool. 
Sea Timothy-grass. (1652. Ph/eum arenarium). This little sea- 
side grass, once associated with Crambe maritima, Euphorbia 
portlandica, Scandix pecten-veneris, etc., on the Flimby shore ; 
finally disappeared after a fearful storm in 1884. From St. Bees’ 
Head northward, the sea has been gradually encroaching for 
many years past. 
FILICES. 
It is with the deepest regret that I have to treat of the gradual 
decrease, and probable ultimate extinction, of many of our loveliest 
ferns. Our mountain woods and bosky ravines are being harried of 
their treasures by rapacious dealers and reckless tourists to the 
Lakes, who uproot and carry off whatever attracts their imagination, 
regardless of the fact that a very small number of the plants so carried 
off—frequently during prolonged summer droughts—will survive trans- 
plantation from the moist and rocky dells of which they formed so 
striking an ornament. The most eagerly sought after appear to be 
the Royal Fern (Osmunda rega/is), the Green Spleenwort (Asplenium 
viride) with its relatives (A. ¢richomanes and A. marinum), the 
Scale Fern—locally, ‘rusty-back’ (Ceterach officinarum), the Hart’s 
Tongue (Scolopendrium vulgare), the Brittle Bladder Fern (Cystopteris 
Jragilis), the Holly Fern (Polystichum lonchitis), and the Oak and 
Beech Ferns. A few only of the many localities so plundered as above 
are appended. 
Green Spleenwort. (1772. Asplenium viride.) Has entirely 
disappeared from a well-known station at Brandy-Ghyll, a deep 
gully at the S.W. base of Carrock Fell, and is now quite scarce 
in any of = remaining habitats. 
Scale Fern— Rusty-back.” (1781. Ceterach officinarum.) 
Formerly grew on many of the southern bluffs of Gowbarrow 
Fells, on Ullswater, where hardly a single specimen now exists. 
Aira Crag, Yew Crag, and Priest Crag produced the Scale 
Fern in moderate quantity until about fifty years ago. 
Bladder Fern. (1785. Cystopteris fragilis.) Associated with the 
preceding in most of the stations indicated above ; has also 
____ suffered, though hardly to the same extent. 
Jan. 18qr, 
