234 
MEETING OF NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETIES. 
successful meeting, for whose success the local members must have 
worked both hard and well. 
[We are indebted to Mr. G. Claridge Druce, F.L.S., for the following 
Botanical Notes.— -Eds. M.N.] 
The Fenland expedition of the members of the Midland Union 
furnished little of special interest to reward the botanist. The district 
traversed, once and at no very distant period the haunt of such plants as 
Gladium Mariscus , Cicuta, Stratiotes, Pilularia , Teucrium Scorditim, and 
Villarsia , was now covered with rich wheat fields, pleasing to agricul¬ 
turists, but most barren to botanists; and the dyke-sides, which stretched 
out in unpicturesque straightness, were bordered only by such plants 
as Glijceria aquatica and Garex riparia , and were often too stagnant to 
show anything upon their surface besides Lemna. Here and there 
Hottonia was welcomed by the Warwickshire botanists, and in a dyke 
near the Welland occurred a new addition to the Northampton Flora, 
Gallitriche obtusangula, a very distinct-looking plant. The far-famed 
Decoy Farm, in Borough Fen, was also extremely poor in vegetation, 
nothing unusual occurring in its osier beds and waters. Nor did 
Crowland or Thorney yield anything to the botanist. 
The Upland party went over much richer ground, and I determined 
on Friday to make an expedition in that direction; so, taking the 
train to Wakerley station, I commenced work by searching Wakerley 
Wood. Here occurred Asperula odorata , rare in Northants, Atropa 
Belladonna , confined to the north-east of the county, Melarnpyrum 
pratense (M. crista,turn was not in flower), Ophrys apifera, Dipsacus 
pilosus, Echium, Verbascum Thapsus , and Euphorbia Lathyris. This 
latter plant is probably a native here, as it occurs in some of the old 
woods, as at Finesliade and Wakerley, and Mr. Mott found it by the 
side of Bedford Purlieus. I made careful search but could find no 
trace of introduced plants, and one can quite agree with Babington’s 
remark on this italicised plant of the London catalogue—“ that it is a 
native of some stony and rocky woods.” 
The road between Wakerley and Duddington was bordered with 
Grepis biennis, and a form of Ballota occurred, which, in had long 
calyx teeth, and may be ruderalis. 
On Colleyweston quarries I gathered Aceras antlvropopliora and Orchis 
pyramidalis, with Arabia hirsuta, Koeleria , A vena pubescens, Bromus 
erectus, and Brachypoiium pinnatum. The stream, which begins at the 
White Water, near Stamford, and ends at Sutton Marsh, affords almost 
the only remaining portion of bog vegetation in Northamptonshire, 
and very rich it is; a profuse growth of Juncus obtusijlorus being 
especially noticeable. Schcenus nigricans, Eriophorum latifolium and E. 
august ifolium, Garex pulicaris, C. dioica, C. Jlava, C. Hornschuchiana, 
G. stcllulata, C. intermedia, G. ovalis, Scirpus setaceus, S. panciflorus, 
S. palustris, Anagallis tenella, Sarnohis Valerandi also occurred. 
In a marshy spot I found Salix pentandra (probably planted); 
Epipactis palustris, Ggmnadenia conopsea, Orchis maculata, 0. latifolia, 
and 0. incarnata were frequent, the flesh-coloured variety of the latter 
in full flower on June 27tli; a hybrid between incarnata and maculata 
was also found. Garduus pratensis was rare, and one or two specimens 
of 0. palustri-pratensis, near to, if not identical with G. Forsteri, were 
gathered. 
Menganthes was in beautiful flower; a short-leaved, much-encrusted 
form of Gliara fcetida was present in the wetter portions, while the 
grasses were represented by Molinia, Triodia, and Aira ccespitosa. 
Here and there, too, were the tussocks of Garex paniculata; Pedicularis 
palustris and Pinguicula were also seen. It was curious to notice how 
