208 NOTES—ORIGINAL AND SELECTED.
Gibson, in his Flora of Essex, gives, however, one or more
localities in each of the eight districts into which he divides the
county, with the exception of the eighth—that which comprises
Tendring Hundred and the district east of Colchester. For my
own part, I have seen the plant now and then, growing in very
small quantities on the walls of old churches and the like in
various parts of the county. The only place in Essex where,
until the present year, I have seen it growing anything more
than sparingly, has been on some old brick walls at Purfleet.
Only within the last few months have I seen it growing in the
county in really large quantities.
In July last I saw the plant growing on the brick walls of
several of the Martello Towers near Clacton-on-Sea. On one of
these—I think the second to the south of the town—the plant
was growing in the greatest profusion. This tower stands
within fifty yards of the sea—in fact, almost on the beach.
There were few plants near the base; but the quantity growing
in the interstices of the brickwork near the top was so great as
to give the tower a mossy appearance when looked at from the
ground. The plants were quite inaccessible, and I could identify
the species only by means of a good glass. Clacton is in
Gibson's Eighth District, from which he had no records for the
plant.
Again, within the last few weeks, Mr. H. Mothersole and
myself found the plant growing in great profusion on the brick
viaduct which carries the main line of the Great Eastern
Railway over the valley of a little brook in the parish of
Boreham. The plants grew in large tufts on the sides of the
viaduct and to a lesser extent under the arches. Many of the
fronds were of exceptional size—perhaps on account of the
wetness of the past summer.—Miller Christy, F.L.S.,
Broomfield, Chelmsford.