RAMBLES IX SARK. 



197 



and a plant or two of the Small Spearwort, which is really a 

 buttercup, with spear-shaped or lanceolate leaves. 



Yellow seems to be the predominating colour among 

 flowers just here, for Ave shall see in the marshy parts of the 

 valley the square-stemmed St. John's Wort, the Marsh 

 Bird's-foot Trefoil, and the Marsh Eyebright. The sticky 

 clamminess of the stem and leaves of the last-named plant are 

 sufficient to distinguish it ; and although very pretty when 

 growing, it is the reverse when dried, for it always turns black. 

 The two large waterplants with succulent stems that grow 

 matted together and overshadow the stream that wets their 

 roots, are the Marshwort and the Water Parsnip. The foliage 

 is bright and cool, but the flat-topped flowerheads of tiny 

 white blossoms are not particularly showy. That tall leafy 

 plant, four or five feet high, with large handsome leaves, is 

 Hemp Agrimony. In September it will expand its big purple 

 flower tassels to attract the Red Admiral butterflies with their 

 gorgeous wings of black velvet spotted with scarlet and 

 white. 



Now let us look out for a dripping earthy bank on which 

 mosses and liverworts grow, and not much besides. We shall 

 very likely find there the Bog Pimpernel, a small plant with 

 creeping stems and pale pink flowers ; and then going on to 

 some shady recess in the bank partly concealed by the vegeta- 

 tion, and peering in with sharp eyes, we may, if fortune 

 favours us, detect the threadlike trailing stems and tiny round 

 leaves of the Cornish moneywort, a most lovely and delicate 

 plant, fit to decorate the abode of the Queen of the Fairies. 

 This again is one of the rarities of Sark. 



Elsewhere on this or some other streamlet bank, as well 

 as in wet places in other parts of the island may be found the 

 ever-charming Forget-me-not, with its lovely light blue flowers, 

 the rose-coloured Lousewort, the violet blue Self-heal, and 

 several other species that love moist situations. Here and 

 there some of these places are quite gay in spring and early 

 summer with the lilac-purple spikes of the Spotted Orchis, and 

 the white blossoms of Lady's Smock, or Cuckoo flowers, as 

 the children call them. And then later in the year, when all 

 these flowers have disappeared and autumn has come, their place 

 will be taken by Willow Herb, and Water Pepper and Brook- 

 lime, the last named a most beautiful water plant often 

 mistaken for Forget-me-not, though the floAvers are of a much 

 brighter and deeper blue. Those who have patience to search 

 and eyes to see will find in this small island no kind of 

 locality more productive of plant life, in all its variety and 



