NATURE NOTES. 
114 
“ Magnificent assortment of Devon and Cornish Ferns, elegant varieties, 40 
healthy plants, free, is. 3d. 
“ Ferns from Cheviot Hills, mixed sorts and sizes, some evergreen, all hardy. 
English and Latin names attached, one of each kind, 25 is., 50 i.s. fid. ,1002s. fid., 
sent post free, with hints on growing. 
“ Forty rare hardy Devonshire Fern roots, is. 2d., carriage paid, 10 varieties, 
ilaidenhair, Ceterach, Adiantum, Polystichum, Rutamuraria, Scolopendrium.” 
“ Everyone is waking up to the fact that the strong arm of the law has become 
necessary for checking reckless fern pilfering. The sentence passed by the 
Axminster magistrates will, we think, act as a salutary warning to persons who 
wander about from place to place, rooting out and destroying wherever they go, 
the mo.st interesting plants of the country-side.” 
Hints for Selbornians.— The Rev. M. G. Watkins has a kindly reference 
to the Selborne Society in Longman s Alaqazinc for May. “ W hat can be more 
beautiful than an English spring ? The very prodigality of its beauty causes country 
lovers to become amateur members of the Selborne Society. Here the wayfarer finds 
roots of primroses ruthlessly torn up by children enamoured of flowers, on their way 
to school, or ferns pulled up in idle mischief by the passer-by, and these he lovingly 
replaces. There grows some such variety in the hedgerow as Leontodon pardali- 
atuhes, and he contents himself with gathering only one or two of its pretty yellow 
flowers. A cow, in forcing her way through the hedge, has trampled down several 
roots of violets ; these can be regained and planted out of danger for the future. 
Young birds, similarly, may be assisted into safety ; heedless toads moved off the 
public road, and the like. Indeed, the lover of the country is very kind to its 
animals and flowers.” Mr. W'atkins’s sentiments are unexceptionable : but what 
is Leontodon pardalianches ? 
Browning’s ‘"Sole Streak.” — The paper on “Browning’s ‘three-leaved 
bell ’ ” (p. 85) has much interested me, particularly the latter part, referring to the 
“sole streak” puzzle. I had never thought of a plant that would answer to 
Browning’s description, until I saw your suggestion of the Purple Orchis, and it 
at once struck me that (seen when the flower-spike was just bursting through the 
clasping upper leaves) this was probably the plant intended. W’e had a plant of 
Orchis inascula growing in the garden, where I have Just had a good opportunity 
of noticing it, and it certainly carries out vety' fairly what is required, excepting 
that the spike, in this case at all events, is rather pale in its upper portion. 
Clearly, however, it is far more satisfactory than Polygonum Persicaria. 
R. F. Towxdrow. 
Extermination of Badgers. — I venture to send you an advertisement 
which appeared in the “ Bazaar ” of May nth : — 
“ B.\DGERS. — Live badger, just caught, weight over 251b. Any 
number caught to order for any gis'en date at 21;- each, packed.” 
Badgers have become very scarce in most parts of the countty, and it seems to 
me a great pity these interesting animals should be still further reduced in number 
by any such wholesale means as this. 
G. T. Rope. 
Ravens in tke Isle of "Wight. — It may be of interest to .Selbornians to 
know that a pair of ravens nested this year on the Culver Cliffs, Sandown Bay, in 
the Isle of Wight. On May ist the young birds were still in the nest, but on that 
day one of them found its way to the top of the cliff and was captured. The man 
who caught it said that he had an order for the young birds at £2 each, and that 
he intended early the next morning to reach the nest by means of a rope. I am 
afraid therefore that the other birds were also taken. It seems a great pity that a 
bird so interesting, not only in itself, but also from its associations, should not be 
preserved from the extinction with which in this countty it is threatened. The 
Wild Birds Protection Act practically affords it no protection, for, as it is not 
included in the schedule, the only result of a first conviction is a reprimand, and 
the payment of costs. It should, I think, be one of the special aims of the 
Selborne Society to obtain the passing of an efficient Act, and to see that it is 
properly enforced. In the present Act the penalty is too small to act as a deterrent 
