I 
AMONG THE WILD FLOWERS. 197 
(lowering and seeding for another generation. But surely the same restrictions 
which guard our game should be placed around those vestiges of a glacial age 
which belong to Scotland because she is what she is, which existed Irefore the 
Celts or even the earlier race, was dispossessed, and are still more a part of the 
scene than the grouse or the ptarmigan.” 
We believe that the rare Pingnicula alpina is carefully pro- 
tected in its Ross-shire station by the owner of the estate which 
is honoured by its presence ; and we hear this summer that Spiv- 
anthes astivalis is similarly guarded in the New Forest. It may 
be hoped that this good e.xample will be followed elsewhere, and 
that our rare plants as well as our rare birds may be encouraged 
to remain with us. 
Another danger to wild flowers, more than once referred to 
in these pages, arises from the e.\tension of golf. Here is what 
Mr. Crawford has to say on this subject, so far as it affects the 
“ beauty of sea-coast stretches known in their natural state as 
links.” 
“No pleasanter way can there be of spending the hot hours of a summer day 
than on some royal mantle of purple thyme, or some humbler couch of yellow 
liedstraw, looking away over the lit and shaded grasses, and yielding to the 
drowsy influence to tilt the cap over the face and to go to sleep to the whispering 
of the sea within the shell of the ear. 
“Of seaside thyme, or humbler bedstraw, there will soon be none. As these 
scenes are being invaded and returfed, this sketch may come to be interesting as a 
picture of what used to be. 
“ In St. Andrews — the Mecca of golf — until the other day a margin of natural 
beauty was left between the new course and the sea. Visitors will recall the 
bright picture on the sunny afternoons of their stay, filled in by attractive groups 
of which they may have formed one. 
“ Even this strip has been taken away. And a whisper is passing round that the 
lack of walking-room may be supplied by wounding the sides of perhaps the most 
picturesque sand-dunes in the country. This would be worse even than driving 
away the link flowers, and denying an afternoon siesta in the hot sun to all who are 
not prepared for a rude awakening.” 
We have left ourselves no space to give an example of Mr. 
Crawford’s treatment of the wild flowers which form the main 
subject of his book, but this will afford an additional reason, 
why our readers should obtain it for themselves. They will not 
regret the purchase. 
We have already referred (see p. 75) to the extremely cheap 
re-issue (in 6d. parts) of Messrs. Cassell’s Familiar Wild Flowers, 
but should like again to call attention to this very useful work. 
Even more satisfactory than the coloured plates, to our taste, 
are the representations of the plants which decorate the initial 
and end of each description. The letter-press might, we think, be 
better, but it is at least free from inaccuracies, and this is not 
always the case in “ popular ” books. 
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