MR. F. LONG ON PROTECTION OF WILD PLANTS. 605 
instances where the planting of Larches lias entirely destroyed 
Anemone pulsatilla , the sowing of coarse grass seed in the 
place of the fine turf on the Downs has destroyed the Spider 
Orchis. Building on Boar’s Hill near Oxford has destroyed the 
site of the rare pink — Dianfhus prolifer. Near Methuen in 
Scotland, Sea-gulls suddenly took to nesting and so destroyed 
Scheuchzeria palnrtris, and many other causes of destruction may 
be mentioned, such as breaking down of the edges of quarries, 
trimming of road-sides, &c. In these cases of course the law 
would be of no avail. 
The general conclusions at which the committee arrived were, 
that the law requires amending with a view to the preservation 
and protection of wild plants, and in order to strengthen the hands 
of the framers of any Bill, that the details of such Bill should be 
laid before the principal Naturalists’ Societies in the country for 
their consideration. Then, in the event of the law being amended, 
that application be made to public bodies and landlords asking 
that certain areas may be considered as protected. That when 
threatened destruction of any plant is likely to occur, botanists 
should remove the plants to a safe place when the conditions 
of soil, &c., are the same; that they should take seed and sow 
it about the spot where any rare plant grows so as to keep up 
the stock, or raise seedlings and plant them about. These 
remarks represent the gist of the Report as drawn up by the 
Cotteswold Naturalists’ Field Club. 
I am not aware that at the present time there has been any 
suggestion from any quarter, as to forming an association in 
this county, and therefore it will not be necessary to discuss 
the working of one, excepting that whenever the time comes, 
I may say that Mr. Southwell will be able to give valuable 
advice, inasmuch as he was chiefly instrumental in defining the 
areas for protection under the “ Wild Birds ” Act. 
I think it will be the general wish of this Society to record 
their feeling as to the desirability of getting the law amended, 
so that measures may be taken either by themselves or by any 
association that may subsequently be formed for the protection 
of rare and other plants in the county of Norfolk. 
