MK. W. G. CLARKE ON A WEEK IN BRECKLAND. 670 
Ouse and some three miles from Lingheath is therefore of 
particular interest. 
Though the time vve devoted to botanising was brief, in 
a distiict containing so many botanical rarities, and such a 
curious flora, it was impossible not to find plants that caused 
the hearts of more than one botanist to rejoice. Concerning 
the general aspects of the heathland flora it is, perhaps, 
worthy of note that the bracken averaged two feet less in 
height than in 1907, and that the heather was nowhere so 
brilliant as in the previous summer, though its beauty was 
not less when contrasted with the flaming yellow heathland 
bents. Another striking contrast was formed by the yellow 
sprays and scarlet berries of the dying White Bryony (Bryonia 
dioica ) which had climbed over the fir hedges, and in some 
cases had mounted spruce hr trees and hawthorn bushes to 
a height of twenty feet. One of the most striking features 
of the heath and roadside vegetation of the district were the 
bright-coloured rosettes of leaves from which next year will 
ascend the stalks of the Hound’s Tongue (Cynoglossum 
officinale ). and the brown, shrivelled stalks, and hooked seeds 
of this year’s plants. No one who has had occasion to walk 
where they abound will doubt for a moment why the people 
of the district term them “ little burdocks.” Another common 
and conspicuous plant was the Cotton Thistle (Onopordum 
acanthium), though perhaps more common and more con- 
spicuous was the Black Moth Mullein (Yerbascum nigrum). 
Ragwort (Senecio Jacobcza) is still very abundant, and this 
year seems not to have been affected so much as usual by the 
caterpillar of the Cinnabar Moth, but the most astonishing 
instance of rapid plant distribution in the district is that of 
the Canadian Fleabane ( Erigeron Canadensis). It abounds 
everywhere, from the dwarfed specimens three or four inches 
in height on the heathland. to those 2 ft. to 2 ft. 6 in. on culti- 
vated ground. Gardens and waste ground in the town of 
Thetford are afflicted by this plague ; it grows by every road- 
side, on heaths and warrens, and on the borders of some of 
the cornfields is taller and more luxuriant than the crop 
itself. 
