IRature IRotes : 
^be Selborne Socfetij’s ^IDagasinc. 
No. 127. JULY, 1900. VoL. XL 
SELBORNIANA. 
Clifton and Durdham Downs. — Though the Corporation 
of Bristol are virtually trustees of these beautiful downs on 
behalf of the public, it appears that, as is too often the case 
under similar circumstances, the ranger is allowed to do pretty 
much as he likes, and considers the convenience of pedestrians 
and sportsmen more than the preservation of a beautiful open 
space close to a large city. The following letter from Mr. E. J. 
Gibbons, of Clifton, appears in the Western Daily Press : — 
“It is .difficult to understand why this delightful resort should be denuded of 
most of its natural beauty, the beauty, that is the joy of the artist and of the 
naturalist. Why should those graceful undulations which are the charm of a 
landscape be levelled to a park-like monotony, and consecrated to cricket, golf, 
football, hockey, and to those who wander there at night ? 
“There are, happily, those who, while they acknowledge the value of out-of- 
door sports, yet maintain there exists an important minority who find pleasure 
in intellectual pursuits, and who have some claim to consideration. Such look 
with concern and regret at the performances of the so-called improver employed 
by the Downs Committee. Ruthless hands some time ago cut away a number 
of exquisite flowering plants and shrubs — the clematis, wild briar, and the rich 
undergrowth that concealed plants of the greatest value and interest to the 
botanist. One whitethorn bush, I can well remember, in which a pair of 
nightingales had hatched their brood, did not escape. 
“ I am old enough to remember the flower-decked dells of our beautiful 
Downs, the furze in patches large and broad, the purple heather scattered in rich 
abundance, mixed here and there with wild thyme and St. John’s wort, the 
brake fern bold and strong, in some places too much to be encountered. The 
heath galium and yellow bedstraw lit up the green sward. The spring brought 
with it wild hyacinths, anemones, and graceful columbines. In summer, rock- 
rose and the dainty hare-bell were luxuriant, and free from the hand of the 
improver. Many beautiful grasses, now rare, were common then. Now, in a 
few sequestered spots alone anemones, wild hyacinths, and columbines struggle 
for existence, and perhaps will do so until their place is marked out for a cricket 
pitch. 
“ I remember, too, that linnets found a congenial home upon our Downs, and 
reared their little ones without undue intrusion. In autumn time goldfinches came 
