343 Mr. Embleton's Miscellanea Botanica et Zoologica. 



Trif. hyhridum of Linne in several spots near Tughall. In 

 the last edition of British Botany, now publishing, these two 

 species are admitted into the British flora as native species ; 

 Trifolium elegans, as a sub-species. It will, probably, be 

 found on investigation, that both species are not uncommon 

 within the limits of the club. 



On Sunday evening, the 14th of July inst,, five swans flew 

 over my house, soutJnoards ; they were so low as to have been 

 easily shot ; but the sanctity of the day preserved them. It 

 is difficult to account for their migration so late in the season. 



The season, so far, (July 19th), has been remarkable for the 

 almost total absence of JLepidoptera ; not one of the common 

 V. TJrticce has been noticed since one or two warm days in 

 spring; and scarcely a white butterfly has been seen here. 

 In my own garden, not a single caterpillar has been observed 

 on either the cabbage or gooseberry genera. The only moth 

 of interest observed has been the Humming Bird Moth ; 

 and a few specimens of the Painted Lady have been noticed. 



Silyhum Marianum, the Milk Thistle. This plant ap- 

 pears annually in various spots in the gardens of this village, 

 and one that I allowed to grow this year has the following 

 dimensions : — height, 6 feet 4 inches ; circumference, 22 feet; 

 circumference of the stem a few inches above the root, 14 

 inches ; number of flowers that came to maturity, 653. Had 

 this single plant been allowed to scatter its seed, how very 

 soon it would have overrun and exterminated every minor 

 plant. 



Centaur ea nigra, var. radiata, {Bah). I gathered a plant 

 of this variety of the common knapweed on the road side be- 

 tween North Sunderland and Chathill. It is very conspicu- 

 ous from the size and beauty of its flowers, the outer ones 

 being barren and radiant. If persistent it would be well 

 worth cultivating. 



Spircea filipendula. This plant appears occasionally in 

 this district. I obtained a very fine specimen in July, at 

 Tughall. 



The following extracts, from a letter I received from my 

 friend Mr. Hewitt Watson, whose name is sufficient to ensure 

 attention from every botanist tor any observations made by 

 him, may, I hope, be thought not unworthy of being placed 

 before the meeting, although not specially belonging to our 

 club : — "It is curious how long we may go on seeing things 

 which are different, without actually noticing their distinction. 

 What plant is more frequent in our way than Carduus 



