BACKHOUSE : TEESDALE BOTANY. 1 1 



double sense. Casually hearing of John Binks and his love of botany, 

 my father ' borrowed John Applegarth's little black pony,' and rode 

 up to the Middleton lead mine to seek him. A mutual ' arrangement ' 

 was soon entered into, and many a fine and wearying ramble they 

 had together ; beginning gradually at first, and extending their range 

 as my father's health grew stronger. 



There was no ' High Force Hotel ' then ! and no road up the 

 valley where it now exists, only a narrow moorland lane or track, 

 passing along the northern ridge from Middleton to a farm five or six 

 miles up the valley, called Moor Riggs House, which still exists. So 

 that a journey in that day 'round Micklefell,' taken from Middleton^ 

 was 'no trifle,' especially when the weather was rough. During these 

 trips John Binks showed to his young companion, in addition to the 

 plants already named, Epilobium alsinifolium^ Saxtfraga stellaris^ 

 and several other interesting plants, if I may judge from the dates 

 attached to these specimens. 



Many years afterwards, when the first figure of Woodsia was 

 pubHshed, from a specimen found in Scotland, my father instantly 

 recognised it as a fern which he had seen in Teesdale. His botanical 

 friends and relatives ' did not believe it,' but he declared that it was 

 'certainly there,' and that he would 'go and fetch it' He did so ; 

 and I possess the specimen — a fine example of Woodsia ilvensis 

 R. Br., with several fronds (one of which is 3I inches long) — having 

 the words attached, in his handwriting : — ' Foot of Cauldron Snout, 

 Teesdale, 1 821, first found there.' Polystichiun Lonchitis Roth, was 

 apparently gathered about the same time. 



I will now mention the plants of Teesdale and the adjoining 

 region, with the discovery of which I have been personally associated. 

 Hieraciwn iriciim Fries 

 II. gothiaim Fries 

 H. pallidtLin Fries 



H. anglicum Fries 



1842. 



H. crocatum Fries 



H. cory77ihosum Fries 



Poa alpina L. 



P. Parnellii Bab. 



Crepis succiscEfolia Tauscli 

 The above Hieracia and Poa Paj-neilii were first examined and 

 virtually found by Prof C. C. Babington ; whom, in company with 

 the late Mr. J. E. Winterbottom, we had the pleasure of (first) 

 meeting at the ' High Force Inn,' during the summer of that year. 

 II. iricum was then described as ' H. Lapeyrousii,' and II. a?iglicum 

 as ' H. Lawsoni.'' . , , 



Aug, 1884. 



