180 On the Species of the Genus Primula in Essex. 
hilly pasture on the left of the road from Bishops Stortford 
to Takeley, between the two-mile stone and Thremhall 
Priory.” Doubtless other localities of a similar nature might 
be discovered. I have, however, only met with one locality 
near Saffron Walden (that is, at the N.W. end of the elatior 
district), or indeed within ten miles of that place, where the 
plant may he described as growing naturally in the open. 
On April 19tli, 1882, I saw it sparingly in a small sloping 
swampy pasture between two small woods, in which it grew 
plentifully, just on the edge of Debden Park. The one 
locality which differs in nature from all the rest I met with 
on the 3rd of the same month, when I saw it growing 
sparingly in a dry pasture close to “ The Boos,” near Walden, 
hut I learnt on enquiry that this spot had been a wood within 
comparatively a few years. There this species grew inter¬ 
mixed with a profusion of Cowslips, hut, though I searched 
diligently, I could see no trace of any intermediate forms. 
I have also searched for hybrids in the localities mentioned 
above, where the Cowslip occupies the higher and drier parts 
of the meadows, and generally mingles a little with the 
Oxlip on the edge of the lower and moister part, but I have 
never seen the least trace of hybrids between the two in such 
spots. I have never seen any varieties or monstrosities of 
P. elatior when growing in the open. In this case the plants 
are generally small, each producing one, or perhaps two short 
flower-stalks, only about four inches high, bearing small 
umbels of only four or five flowers each. 
As I have already said (and as will he seen from the list of 
localities previously given) woods are, in this country, the 
usual habitat of P. elatior. It makes, however, all the 
difference in the world to the plants whether the wood be 
thickly grown up or freshly cut down. In the former case 
the plants, though generally of good size, comparatively 
seldom produce flowers, and then only in small umbels. 
A person walking through such a wood in spring would 
certainly not think the Oxlip an unusually abundant plant. 
It is, however, the fate of most woods to be cut down every 
fifteen years or so. This is accomplished in the winter, and 
