124 



THE NATURALIST. 



wild plant of our district ; diligent searcliing led to the finding of specimens in the 

 above-mentioned woods at the dates there given, but in each place in but small quantity. 

 In addition to these the Mezereon is stated on good authority to have been found in the 

 following places in the district : — Bradenham Woods ; Naphill Common ; Cork's Hall 

 Woods (in plenty) ; Kingshill Woods ; Wood near Amersham ; and many more ; and a 

 small tree was brought this year (1866) from the small wood at the foot of the ascent of 

 White Hill towards Beaconsfield. Unfortunately, the Mezereon is so well known to the 

 villagers round, that as soon as a plant is seen in the woods, it is removed to the cottage 

 garden ; besides which, the gamlceepers, and others who are frequently engaged in wood- 

 land occupation, take every specimen they can find, knowing that they can readily 

 dispose of it to gardeners and others. A word as to the nativity of the species ; it has 

 been suggested that the Mezereon trees found in the woods are the results of bird-sown 

 seeds ; but a person, who has many fine specimens in her garden, assures me that she 

 never planted th^m, but that the birds brought the seeds from the woods. The only 

 locality for the plant to which I can attach the slighest suspicion, is that of the planta- 

 tion below Hughenden House, which has consequently been omitted from the above list 

 of localities ; here it may have been planted, but this objection cannot be urged in 

 reference to its other haunts. D. Mezereum is probably distributed over a large extent 

 of the county as I have a note of its occurrence in Mr. Grover's Wood, at Smalldean, 

 near Wendover. 



D. Laureola^ L. Wood Laurel. Bab. 287, Woods, frequent, but usually 

 in small quantity ; FennelFs Wood ; Dane Garden Wood : Oakridge 

 Wood j Tinker's Wood ; etc. ; also in Hollow Lane. 



[Order LXIX.— SANTALACE^. 

 Thesium. Linn. 



T, Immifusum, DC. Bab. 288. " Chalk banks, near Marlow," 1/r. Gotohed. 

 B. G. i. 35. I have never seen it there ; nor does Mr. Mill mention it 

 in his Maiiovv^ list.] 



Order LXXIL— EUPHORBIACE^. 

 Buxus. Linn. Box. 



E. sempsrvlr ens, Tj. "Rare." Bab. 290. In woods, perhaps not truly wild, 



though apparently so in Dane Garden Wood, and other places. 



Euphorbia. Linn. Spurge. 



F. Helioscojna, L. Sun Spurge, Bab. 290. Waste ground ; a common 



garden weed. 



E. amygdaloides, L. Bab. 291. Woods and hedges, common. 

 E. Pepiiis, L. Bab. 292. A garden weed. 

 E. exigua^ L. Bab. 292. Cornfields and waste ground. 

 E. Lathyrisj L. Caper Spurge. Bab. 292. Waste ground at Downley and 

 Elackwell Heath, Mr. T. P. Lucas ! weed in a garden at Wycombe. 



