THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 251
nabinum), and the lowly Scull-cap (Scutellaria galericulata). The more interesting
of the water-plants may be the Great Water-Dock (Rumex hydrolapathum), the
Yellow-Iris, or Flag (Iris pseudacorus), the Great Water Plantain (Alisma
plantago), Sagittaria sagittifolia, with its arrowed-shaped leaves, the Flowering
Rush (Butomus umbellatus), with its peculiarly elegant and handsome rosy
umbels, the Bur-reed (Sparganium), and the aromatic Sweet Flag (Acorus
calamus) at Springfield.
Indeed, Dr. Taylor added, they had noted more species than the compilers of
the programme had expected, and although none of the plants were rare, there
were many that were exceedingly pretty and suggestive. He had little sympathy
with the person who studied a plant because of its rarity, which showed that it
had not been able to keep its place in the great battle of life, while those that
were common had adapted themselves to the changes going on around them.
He had, in the plants on the table, so many, as it were, botanical museums—
many suggestive specimens about which long yarns might be told, and which by
their peculiarities registered their affinities, and the lines of their descent. Some
were armed with thorns, prickles, and hairs ; others had their leaves peculiarly
placed, and there were those whose leaves or roots were edible and poisonous ;
while, in certain instances, the plant had become wholly poisonous. A thousand
years ago, of the collection of plants before him, those that were useful to man
were put down to Providence and the saints, and named accordingly ; and those
that were poisonous were put down to the other power. (Laughter.) Under-
lying the history of plants was this fact—they had not all toemarked the same
line ; some had fallen back, some had become rare. Believing as he did in the
laws of evolution, he thought there were still existing some of the primitive types
of vegetable life—not horse tails, but mare's tails, a true flowering plant, and it
was to those he referred. Dr. Taylor then took severally in hand the flowers
collected, and demonstrated, amid much interest, their several peculiarities, floral
histories, structures, and relationships. Speaking of their folklore, he said that
many of the traditions concerning them were the common property of Norwe-
gian, Danish, German, French, English, Spanish, Russian, Hungarian, and other
countries, and he expressed his belief that these traditions were of Aryan origin,
older even than the evolution of European languages, and distributed all over
Europe during the great Aryan emigration. In this way he connected the
popular names and folklore of common plants with ethnological history.
It may be interesting to record the names of the plants collected, which is
compiled from the notes taken on the spot by Dr. Pearl, who took the greatest
care in identifying the species. The list will be useful to beginners as an indica-
tion of species to be looked for during a riverside midsummer ramble in Essex,
and also as showing what a rich flora the district possesses. A thorough search
would probably furnish a much more extensive list, including some scarce
species :—