104 
NATURE NOTES. 
philanthropic effort.” Lord Meath, in fact, was of opinion that 
the pace ot the Kyrle Society was not quick enough, and that 
“a special and influential combination of persons” giving its 
“earnest and considerate attention” to the subject, and acting 
under his Lordship's guidance, would be able to accomplish 
greater things. Whether this opinion was a sound one, it would 
be idle to discuss. As a matter of fact the Metropolitan Gardens 
Association has done much good work, and any slight feeling of 
rivalry which may have once existed between it and the older 
Societies has long since vanished; the three agencies are work- 
ing together in thoroughly cordial relations. Lord Meath’s 
Association can point to a very long list of church-yards and 
other gardens laid out or improved by its efforts ; while it has 
done much to force upon the public notice the importance of 
this particular branch of open space work. The project of 
forming a public promenade on the main drainage embank- 
ment in the East of London, and the placing of flowers in 
Trafalgar Square show that the action of the Society is by no 
means a matter of routine, but that it welcomes every suggestion 
by which increased facilities for out-door recreation may be 
extended to London. 
Such is a brief sketch of the circumstances under which each 
of the Open Space Societies came into existence and of the 
character of the work on which they have been mainly engaged. 
But there have of late years been many developments of the 
Open Space movement which deserve notice, and upon these 
and the relations thereto of the Societies I have mentioned, and 
of other agencies, 1 shall be glad, with the Editors’ permission,, 
to say a few words on another occasion. 
Robert Hunter. 
THE PLANT ALLUSIONS IN THE POEMS OF 
MATTHEW ARNOLD. 
{Continued from p. 84.) 
“ TJiyrsis is full of references to flowers. Here are some of 
them : — 
“ ‘ So, some tempestuous morn in early June, 
When the year's primal burst of bloom is o'er, 
Before the roses and the longest day — 
When garden-walks and all the grassy floor 
With blossoms red and white of fallen May 
And chestnut flowers are strewn— 
So have I heard the cuckoo’s parting cry, 
From the wet field, through the vext garden trees, 
Come with the volleying rain and tossing breeze : 
The bloom is gone, and with the bloom go I ! 
