NATURE NOTES 
tering the seed some considerable distance. A minute plant 
grows over most of the Downs, too, which unless looked for 
would probably escape notice. It is bedstraw-like in appearance, 
very dwarf, and bears the somewhat curious English name of 
Squinancy-wort. 
The Greater and Lesser Knapweeds are very common, the 
Greater species especially ; and the little Eyebright, the beautiful 
blue of the Borage, the Bugloss and the Round-headed Rampion, 
the white of the Yarrow, the scentless Mayweed, and the Greater 
Bindweed, and the yellow of the Horned Poppy and the Toadflax, 
are salient floral features. 
In the valleys, where there are rivers and streamlets — 
the Cuckmere Valley, for instance — the flora, of course, varies 
greatly from that of the Downs. A fine patch of light pink on 
the banks of the Cuckmere revealed the Common Marsh Mallow 
in all its beauty, and the long inflorescence of the Purple Loose- 
strife, the flaring gold of the Yellow Loosestrife and the pinkish 
clusters of Hemp Agrimony, added variety — which is so charm- 
ing — to the sylvan scene. 
Another yellow flower which is especially partial to these 
Downs and deserves notice is the Yellow-wort, whose leaves are 
united at the base and form a cuplet in which water is sometimes 
collected, as in the better-known Teasel of our Hertfordshire lanes. 
Then there is the Marjoram, which vies in the luxury of its dress 
and the sweet aroma it gives forth with the purple Thyme, and 
the array of pink flowers of the Greater Willow Herb strikes the 
eye cheerfully and pleasantly as of a row of soldiers guarding 
the streamlet as it dances merrily on towards the ocean beyond. 
Thus we must dismiss our notes upon the Downland flora 
in these few brief lines, save remarking that we had the satisfac- 
tion of adding to our list one plant, the Alpine Woundwort, 
which has hitherto only been recorded in one county of England, 
i.e., Gloucestershire. 
We hardly know to which of the two features to devote our 
remaining space, whether to the Butterfly or Bird-life of the 
Downs. Perhaps a brief review of both will overcome the 
difficulty. 
Butterflies ! Ramble over these South Downs in the 
summer-time if you would see Chalk Hill, Common and Adonis 
Blues in all their sweetness. Have you ever seen the Painted 
Lady Butterfly in her finest dress ? If you have not, go on the 
Sussex Downs and you will observe as many Painted Ladies as 
you desire to see. Red Admirals, Meadow Browns, Whites, 
Graylings, Fritillaries, Clouded Yellows, all are here, visiting 
the flowers which garland the herbage so pleasingly, dancing 
hither and thither amongst the garden of wild flowers, settling 
ever and anon to sip the nectar or secrete their eggs upon some 
particular plant, which the larva, when hatched, will find much 
to its liking. 
Stand still for a moment or two and cast your eyes around. 
