192 
NATURE NOTES. 
three periods, spending a little over' a fortnight at Ambleside, 
Keswick and Glen Ridding (Ullswater), respectively. 
I had heard a great deal about fern destruction in the Lake 
Country, and had been led to believe that I should have great 
difficulty in finding anything like rare plants in the neighbour- 
hood of the ordinary tourist routes. As upwards of twenty 
years had passed since my former visit to the district, I provided 
myself with Mr. Baker’s admirable Flora, and determined to see 
for myself whether some of the rare plants were to be found at 
the stations mentioned in the Flora. I am pleased to be able to 
say that I found nearly every plant I sought for in the locality 
indicated by Mr. Baker. It must be admitted that this affords 
tolerable evidence that no very serious amount of plant de- 
struction has been going on since the date of publication, 1885. 
I believe it is the ferns only that have suffered in any appreciable 
degree, and that the fern destroyers are chiefly the fern dealers. 
It is the rarer species, such as the Flowering Fern ( Osmunds 
regalis L.), and the Forked Spleenwort ( Asplcnium septentrionale 
Hull), that are most preyed upon. I found two favourite lake 
ferns, the Oak Fern ( Polypodium Dryoptcris, L.), and the Beech 
Fern ( Polypodium Phegoptcris, L.), in tolerable plenty, the Parsley 
Fern ( Allosorus crispus, Bernh) in abundance. I also found that 
lovely little Filmy Fern ( Hymenophyllum Wilsoni, Hook.), in, at 
least, half-a-dozen localities. I happened to be at Ambleside 
on the August Bank Holiday, when some three or four thousand 
“ excursionists ” visited that easily accessible town. I observed 
these “excursionists” closely; I am pleased to be able to record 
the fact that I saw no plant destroyers amongst them. 
I made a point of paying a visit to “Stock Ghyll” (the 
favourite resort of excursionists) on the following day. I found 
that graceful little plant, the Wild Balsam ( Impatiens Noli-me- 
tangere, L.), and the White Foxglove or Giant Bell-flower 
(i Campanula latifolia, L.), growing within a few yards of the 
path the tourists must have trodden to get a view of the Stock 
Ghyll Force, in full bloom and apparently unmolested. I have 
often heard that there are many plant lovers among the artisans 
of Lancashire. Perhaps this may in some way account for 
their conduct towards the Lake Flora on this Bank holiday, for 
doubtless the majority of these “excursionists” hailed from 
Lancashire. Be this as it may, for one fact, and that alone, I 
can vouch, which is that very little, if any, plant destruction 
took place at Ambleside on the day named. I think you will 
agree with me that the facts I have related are encouraging, and 
that Selbornians may take heart and persevere with the good 
work they have begun. One word as to the “ trade” of the fern 
dealer. A friend, who resides in the neighbourhood of Winder- 
mere, informed me that the fern dealer's business is not nearly so 
“ brisk ” as it was a few years ago, and that some are even lament- 
ing over the fact that their occupation is fast going. Has the 
Selborne Society had anything to do with this ? This is a 
