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Bristol, may be covered witli vegetation. “ For many years,” 
he writes, no blade of grass or humble weed would grow upon 
the unsightly heaps,” but at last a plant has been discovered 
which will grow luxuriantly even on such a soil. This is the 
Wall Rocket or Narrow-leaved Wall-mustard {Diplotaxis teniii- 
folia), a glaucous plant, i to li feet high, with pale lemon-yellow 
flowers. A few years ago we were attracted to it on the walls 
of Chester, where Ray had gathered it two centuries before, by 
its powerful heliotrope-like fragrance, and we subsequently 
found it in plenty between Pontorson and Mont St. INIichel. 
Strangely enough, neither Hooker nor Babington mention this 
fragrance, though the later does say “ Plant foetid,” with refer- 
ence to its smell when bruised ; while Sir J. E. Smith in his 
English Flora says, “ Flowers large and handsome, but un- 
pleasantly scented ! ” 
“ It was found growing,” writes a Bristol paper, “on some old walls in St. 
Philip’s Marsh, in 1878, and on the Netham mounds it has established itself 
firmly, so that it is fast covering with verdure these arid heaps of chemical refuse. 
Dr. Frj’er suggests that it might be worth while trying if this little plant could be 
encouraged to cover other unsightly heaps in various parts of the country, and it 
is to be hoped that his advice will lead to the experiment being tried. The 
wonderful power Nature has in coveting up the ugly is indicated in many district.'. 
Who will say that some day the heap of coal-shale, which has become a feature 
in a part of West Bedminster, may not be clothed with firs, as similar heaps in 
the Radstock district have been for years?” 
A New County Museum. — “The celebrated museum at 
Hawkestone, Lord Hill’s well-known seat near Shrewsbury, 
was to have been offered for sale by auction, but it has been 
withdrawn, and will be purchased by the County of Salop. 
The museum contains one of the largest and finest collections of 
birds in England. The Hawkstone gardens have long been 
famous, and the well-wooded and much diversified deer park 
comprises i ,200 acres, and contains a lake two miles long.” — Star. 
The Royal Photographic Society’s Exhibition. — The 
Royal Photographic Society have got together a most interesting 
series of pictures for their annual exhibition at the New Gallery, 
which is open from September 22 to October 29. Among the 
landscapes are many excellent studies of snow, sea-spray, blown 
sand, &c., especially “ Blown Sand and Shadows,” by A. H. 
Blake; “Storm Swept,” by Joseph Appleby; “The Reef,” by 
F. J. Mortimer ; and “ De la Pluie,” by A. Canfyn ; whilst Dr. 
Vaughan Cornish sends a fine series of the wave phenomena 
of Niagara. Professor Bentley exhibits the lantern-slides of 
flowers which he showed at our Annual Meeting, and, amongst 
the few other photographs of botanical interest, we noticed 
lantern-slides of stem-sections by W. P. Young. Six superb 
illustrations of rock-weathering, by different artists, are sent by 
Dr. Abbott, and Mr. A. E. Smith exhibits several fine histo- 
logical studies. Animals, however, are better represented. Mr. 
Douglas English has caught weasels, polecats, stoats and martens 
