THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



205 



to join. The next meeting of the council 

 will take place on 12th April next. — W. 

 Harcourt Bath, Hon. Sec. 



RAMBLES ROUND STOUR- 

 BRIDGE. 



By W. H. Bath. 



The country about Stourbridge is very 

 picturesque, being full of hills and dales, 

 and consequently rich in vegetation. Some 

 of the finest scenery in England may be seen 

 here. The rocks, which are mostly of red 

 sandstone, contain numerous fossils. 



April 8th. — Took train to Stourbridge in 

 afternoon. In evening 1 went for a walk 

 with a friend to explore the natural history. 

 Working our way through the town, we went 

 towards Hanbury Hill, from whence a good 

 view was obtainable looking northwards. 

 The fields on all sides of us were brilliant 

 with the common but pretty flowers of the 

 daisy, dandelion, and meadow coltsfoot. 

 Passing by the Blue Coat School we obser- 

 ved a large rookery and its inhabitants 

 busily at work. In the valley beneath we 

 saw the first swallow this season, hawking 

 for flies. Wending our way through fields 

 and lanes, with swarms of gnats swaying to 

 and fro above our heads and shrew mice 

 squeaking in the banks, we came to a coppice 

 of firs known as Norton Cover. Here we 

 stayed some time watching a rabbit warren, 

 and listening to blackbirds singing as the 

 sun was going down. We returned home 

 again at dusk. 



April 9th (Sunday afternoon). — About 

 two o'clock we found ourselves at the Dingle, 

 a lovely spot about two miles from Stour- 

 bridge, noted for the number of wild flowers 

 found there. It is composed of two steep 

 hills, with a brook running between them. 

 They are completely covered with vegetation. 

 Here we found the wood anemone growing 

 in profusion. I never saw such fine flowers 

 before. Violets, blue hyacinths, wood sor- 

 vel, and the lesser celandine were flowering 



everywhere. It was a charming place with 

 the birds singing in the trees, bees humming 

 among the flowers, and the brook rippling 

 over the stones beneath. Going out of the 

 Dingle we came into full view of Hagley 

 Park, the seat of Lord Lyttleton. On a 

 field, the site of an old Roman encampment, 

 I discovered cowslips growing. The hedges 

 here were lightened up with the pretty white 

 blossoms of the wild plum and cherry, and 

 bees were buzzing about in all directions. 

 Toiling up Hagley Hill we came to Wyche- 

 j Wood, where the ground was covered with 

 flowers of the wood anemone — "they were 

 growing in thousands." The country about 

 here is full of places of interest. Passed 

 the monument erected to the memory of 

 the Prince of Wales by the late Lord Lyttle- 

 ton during the last century, and in a short 

 time we came to an old castle in ruins, 

 overgrown with ivy and encircled in a clump 

 of fine beech trees with a rookery. After 

 leaving the castle we commenced the ascent 

 of the Clent Hills. We were fairly tired 

 when wc arrived at the top, but were amply 

 repaid by the fine view we obtained. On 

 the highest point there are four stones which 

 mark the boundaries of the counties of 

 Warwick, Worcester, Stafford and Shrop- 

 shire. They all happen to meet at this one 

 point. We saw many hills in the distance 

 and clearly over the village of Broom, noted 

 for containing no public house. Return- 

 ing home we passed through the hamlets of 

 Clent, Hagley, Pedmore and Oldswinford. 

 I observed the snails aspera and ncmoralis 

 plentiful on all the banks, and the grey 

 water wagtail put in its appearance every- 

 where. In the gardens fruit trees were in 

 one mass of white blossom, which contrasted 

 finely with the blue sky. 



April 10th. — Started at about half-past 

 nine in the morning for a drive. Passed 

 through the hamlets of Amblecote, Dennis 

 Park, Coalbourn Brook, Bret tie Lane and 

 Audnam. Turning to the left we passed by 



