Locaiities. — O n banks, road-sides, heaths, and pastures, in a sandy or dry 
gravelly soil ; frequent. — Oxfordsh. On Shotover Hill, close to the Ochre-pits, 
on a bank sloping to the South, in great abundance ; June 15, 1831. .Between 
Shotover Hill and Cuddesdon on a hank by the road-side near the two Wind- 
nulls : \V. B. — Berks ; On a Common between Besselsleigh and Tubney, 
abundant: 1839, W.B. — Bedfordsh. Southill ; Ampthill ; and Aspley : Kev. 
C. Abbot. — Cambridgesh. Gamlingav, near the Wind-mills; and by White 
Wood: Rev. R. Relhan. — Cornwall; Pillaton: H. YVoollcomre, Esq. — 
Devon; Milbourn Down, near Newton Abbot. Canonteign near Christowe ; 
North Bovey ; Manaton ; llsington; Woodbury Hill ; and Blackhill: Messrs. 
Jones and Kingston, in FI. Devon. — Durham ; On Sunderland Ballast-hills; 
and on dry banks near (Jrpeth : N. J. Winch, Esq. — Essex ; Near Woodford : 
Mr. R. Warner. Epping Forest: Mr. D. Cooper. On Warley Common: 
Or. aEnkas Mac. Intyre. — Hampsh. Near Gosport: Rev. R. Palmer, in 
Mag. Nat. Hist. v. i. p.276 — Kent; Blackheath, and Keston Common: Mr. 
O. Cooper. — Lancash. Park Quarry, Liverpool: Dr. Bostock.— Leicestersh. 
Near Grooby Pool: Rev. A. Bloxam. — Middlesex; Hampstead Heath: Mr. 
D. Cooper. — Norfolk; Moushold Heath, near Norwich, and elsewhere : Mr. 
Woodward. — Notts ; In Nottingham Park, on Radford Lings, and many other 
barren places: Dr. Def.ring. — Shropsh. Morf, near Bridgnorth : Hall. On 
the slopes of the Sharpstones Hill, near Shrewsbury: \V. A. Leighton, Esq. 
in M. N. H. Common on the top of Whitcliff. near Ludlow : Dr. Babincton, 
in Plymley's Agricult, of Shropshire. Somersetsh. Brendon Hill, near 
Bristol: Mr. Swain. Park Lodge, Kevnsham: Dr. Davis .— Staffordshire ; 
Kinver: Hall. Near Lichfield: Mr. Whately. Surrey; Clapham and 
Wandsworth Commons: Mr W. Pamplin, jun. Wimbledon Common ; and 
Barnes Common: Mr. D. Cooper, in FI. Metrop. Grayswood: Miss C. 
Perry, ibid. On Reigate Heath, and elsewhere : Mr. G. Luxfohd. Hoik- 
ing: Dr. Withering.— Warwicksh. Near Rugby; on the lower Hillmorton 
road: Rev. A. Bloxam. Winson Green; and Wash wood Heath, near Bir- 
mingham: Drs. Stokes and Withering. Coleshill Heath: T. Burton, Esq. 
About Packington : Smith. Stonleigh new road, & c.: Mr. G. W. Perry. — 
Worcestersh. On the Malvern Hills; Hartlebury Common; Kemsey Common; 
and Blakebrook, near Kidderminster: Mr. K. Lfes. Blaekstcne Rock, near 
Bewdley; on Sutton Common, near Kidderminster; and in fields between Kid- 
derminster and Picket Rock: Mr. G. \V. Perry, in M. N H. — Yorksh. Near 
Knaresborough: Mr. Robon. — IV ALES. In Anglesey: Mr. H. Davies.— In 
SCOTLAND, and in IRELAND, but rare. 
Annual. — Flowers from May to September. 
Root slender, branched, with many long, whitish, fibres, which 
are frequently furnished with small tubercles. Stems numerous, 
procumbent, from 3 to 10 or 12 inches long, simple, round, fur- 
rowed, downy, leafy. Leaves pinnated, hairy, especially at the 
back, the radical ones spread on the ground, on short petioles ; 
those on the stems alternate, sessile ; leaflets small, egg-shaped, or 
elliptical, opposite, or alternate, of from 5 to 12 or 14 pair, with a 
terminal one about the same size and figure. Stipulas very small, 
upper ones awl-shaped, scarcely visible ; lower ones strap-shaped, 
pointed, united laterally to the petiole. Peduncles longer than the 
leaves. Flowers from 1 to 5 in each little head or tuft, closely ac- 
companied by a pinnated bractea of but few leaflets. Calyx downy, 
coloured. Corolla very small ; standard very slightly notched at 
the end, white, beautifully veined with crimson ; wings white, with 
a reddish tinge ; keel yellowish. Legumes 1 to 5, rather com- 
pressed, pointed, curved upwards, finely hairy, wrinkled lengthwise 
when dry, their joints elliptical, and moderately compressed. Seeds 
roundish, one in each joint. 
This elegant little plant is a native throughout Europe and the North of Africa, 
on heaths and gravelly pastures. 
The beauty of its flowers when closely examined, and the great resemblance 
which its curved articulated legumes bear to the claws of a bird, render it an object 
highly deserving of attention. Sir J. E. Smith observes, that when it does not 
produce pods (legumes), it propagates itself by the grains or tubercles of its root, 
though in general the root is annual. 
