NOTES ON THE IiEA VALLEY. 
155 
The Rea Valley, so far as I have been able to discover, is 
not rich in the cryptogamic flora. Of the ferns I have to 
mention seven species, viz., Pteris aquilina, Lomaria spicant, 
Asplenium Ruta-muraria, found by Mr. R. Moore, on Moseley 
Park wall, since pulled down; Aspidiun aculeatum, Nephrodium 
filix-mas, N. spinulosum, and Polypodium vulgare. Of the 
horsetails I have to mention six species— Equisetum arwnsv, 
K. sylvaticum , K. palustre , K. limosum, and two taken from 
Mr. W. Mathew’s list, E. maximum and E. hyemale. 
The mosses of my district are not so numerous as I 
expected, or else my eye is not sufficiently acute to detect 
them. I have to record forty-five species, most of them 
being such as might be expected to grow in a marly district 
like the Rea. 
All my critical flowering plants have been submitted to 
the Rev. J. H. Thompson, and Mr. W. Mathews, who have 
kindly examined them ; and all the mosses have been seen, 
and for the most part named, by the kindness of Mr. James 
E. Bagnall. 
All the plants obtained in the Rea Valley I have cata¬ 
logued, adding some from Mr. Mathew’s excellent little book, 
“ The Flora of the Clent and Lickey Hills,” as belonging to 
my district. Counting up my gains, with this list before me, 
I find that my plants represent sixty-seven out of the ninety- 
three natural orders named in the London Catalogue ; and 
326 species out of the 1,665, exclusive of the mosses. I hope 
very largely to increase my list by further search, and publish 
it later on in the year. 
I will not further trespass on your patience except to 
speak a word in behalf of our little Birmingham river, to 
which I am bound in attachment by the pleasant memories 
of many years. No poet that I know of has sung its praises, 
but on the contrary, the mention of its name is the signal 
for mirth on all occasions. The Archbishop of Canterbury, 
in his Presidential address at the Midland Institute, provoked 
much laughter by his allusion to “ the silvery and sportive 
Rea.” That it was silvery in good weather in early times 
I am sure, and sportive also, as its present windings and 
eddies testify. As a river it may be despicable, but the 
valley through which it passes is by no means to be despised. 
It can boast, in near neighbourhood to the town, two parks— 
the people’s pleasure grounds, Calthorpe Park, attractive to 
the lovers of athletic exercise; and Cannon Hill, which 
should, by reason of its beauty, be attractive to everybody, 
and which by a moderate outlay, as suggested in the public 
