568 MR. W. G. CLARKE ON BRECKLAND CHARACTERISTICS. 
immoderate course of some who, seeking their own benefit, 
leave nothing for the rest, therefore every year it shall be 
lawful for every householder or resident within the town, by 
himself or deputy, to enter into the common brakes, the 
Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday after Holy Rood Day 
(September 14th) to take so many brakes, as by the only 
labour and pains of one man in the mowing, may be con- 
veniently cut down and no more.” Any offender was to 
forfeit the brakes and not be allowed to cut for six years 
following. A similar custom formerly existed on many of the 
heaths but has been allowed to lapse. On Lakenheath 
Warren there are, however, still 84 “ rights,” the lord of the 
manor holding the largest number, entitling the holders to 
cut brakes and sand-sedge after August 29th. Each “ right- 
holder ” is supposed to have ten acres, but as there are no 
boundaries, it means in practice that each man cuts where 
he chooses. On thousands of acres, nevertheless, the bracken 
shoots up in spring and dies down in autumn without being 
utilised by man in any way. Gorse is not by any means so 
abundant and large bushes appear only to be found on virgin 
heathland or on that which has not been under cultivation 
for a long period. Some of the bushes on Wretham, Wretham 
Thorpe, Brettenham and Santon Downham Heaths attain 
a large size. Sand-sedge ( Carex arenaria) and the three 
plants named cover most of the heath area and represent 
either primitive heathland or the last stage in the reversion 
of cultivated land or rabbit-made desert to “ bruery.” 
When land ceases to be cultivated or the rabbits which 
convert the warrens into sandy steppes are killed off, the 
first vegetation which appears is lichen, moss and stone- 
crop. On some hundreds of acres of Thetford Warren there 
is a most extraordinary growth of lichen, which for extent 
must be almost unique. Where the lichen is longer established 
and prevents the moisture in the thin layer of surface soil 
from being entirely evaporated, annuals spring up and 
perennials establish themselves. Among those earliest notice- 
able are Senecio Jacobcca — locally “ canker- weed ” — which in 
autumn covers with a golden mantle field after field which has 
