THE NATURAL HISTORY ON A GASWORKS 337
By contrast, heaps of Manox synthetic ore show little growth of plants.
Mr. Bernard Ward, Mr. C. B. Pratt and I examined the site one evening
in August last, and notes were made on the plants and insects seen. As
Mr. Bernard Ward did not have time to examine all the trees, I would like
to mention this feature of the site.
There are 477 trees in the area, consisting of 308 Poplars, 94 Sycamores,
26 Hawthorns, 19 Horse Chestnuts, 14 Pears, 3 Limes (rather thin and
anaemic-looking), 2 fine Ashes, 2 small Willow, 2 Apple, 2 large Fig, 2 old
and spreading Mulberry, and 3 rather small and spreading Birch. There is
also a large number of old Elder bushes and Privet hedges in various stages
of care or neglect.
My list of birds includes 20 species, 10 of which nest on the works.
Species nesting: Kestrel, Carrion-crow, Wood-pigeon, London Pigeon,
House-sparrow, Greenfinch, Blackbird, Song-thrush, Mistle-thrush, Wren.
Species not proved to nest: Pied Wagtail, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Herring
Gull, Black-backed Gull, Starling, Chiffchaff, Moorhen, Mallard, Cuckoo,
Black-headed Gull.
Lepidoptera: Butterflies—Small White, Large White, Small Tortoise-
shell, Painted Lady, Red Admiral. Moths—Brindled Beauty, Large Yellow
Underwing, Poplar Grey, White Satin, Elephant Hawk, Garden Tiger,
Puss, Dot, Broom. Amongst other insects seen are Cockchafers, Crickets,
Stag Beetles, Honey Bees and Bumble Bees.
Typical boreholes in the area showed, beneath the made ground, gravels
and clays to a depth of 18 to 27 feet. Under these beds is the London Clay
to a depth of about 49 feet.
I would like to thank Mr. R. G. Plummer, the Station Engineer at
Bromley Works, for his kind co-operation in this matter.
REFERENCES
(1) Everard, Stirling. History of the Gas Light and Coke Company.
(2) Fitter, R. S. R. London's Natural History.
Notes on the Plants Observed
during a Visit to the Gasworks
BY BERNARD T. WARD
It is interesting to see that in London's Natural History by R. S. R.
Fitter there is a brief list of the plants from this area. This list was
prepared from the records of Mr. R. P. Donnelly, who was working at the
gasworks at the time, and who presumably was able to watch the area for
some considerable time, and certainly it was unlikely that he did all his
hunting in the short space of two hours one summer evening. The list,
which is admittedly only a selection of the plants seen, mentions thirteen
species, but two of these were of particular interest to me, and on our visit
we did not spot either of them. They are the Danewort (Sambucus ebulus)
and Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum). On the other hand, we found most
of the other species listed, together with some interesting additions.
When Mr. Richard Ward invited me to see the area and especially the
heaps of "Bog Ore", I was hopeful that it might yield some interesting
aliens from Holland or Denmark and so perhaps throw some light upon