44 



In East Wear Bay I have found the Rose Bay Willow Herb 

 (Epilohhim angiistifolium), it is rather an uncommon plant, 

 but in Challock Woods, near Wye, grows in profusion. In 

 Sandling Park I have found the Bird's Nest Lystera. I may 

 meniion that in the dykes near Mersham, the Yellow Water 

 Lily (Nuphar luieaj, and the Flowering Rush (Butomus umhel- 

 latusj, and large Water Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis paliistris), 

 are found in abundance ; also the Great Yellow Loose Strife 

 ( Lysimachia vulgaris), which is, I believe, rather rare. In 

 fact along these dykes are endless treasures, and if the lover 

 of wild flowers takes the train to Smeeth, and devotes a few 

 hours to a ramble along them, he will be well repaid. 



Near Hythe, in one of the dykes parallel with the canal, I 

 found the little Frog-bit (Hydrocharis Morsus-rance) , it is very 

 lovely, as I (faresay you all know. I was sorely tempted to get 

 some for my aquarium, but of course the finest specimens 

 were all farthest from the bank. At last, with great difficulty, 

 I gofdown to a firm footing, and armed with an umbrella with 

 a crook, prepared to make a grab ; but imagine my horror 

 when I saw lying, well stretched out on my lovely flowers, 

 a black water snake nearly a yard long. They are quite 

 harmless, these dyke snakes, but my philosophy did not repre- 

 sent that fact to me at the time. Up I rushed with a scream, 

 and my black friend, in a dignified manner (quite an example 

 to me), glided quietly away into the dark waters. 



You will be tired of me and my snake adventures, so I will 

 detain you no longer, except to say, that this Spring, when 

 feeling I had searched the neighbourhood, and had, I feared, 

 no more botanical novelties to find, at Beechborough I dis- 

 covered the Adder's Tongue (Ophioglossum vulgatum), growing 

 plentifully both in the woods and meadows. 



