Journal of Proceedings. xxvii
of similar disturbances still impending quite sufficiently accounted for
the small muster at the Box Hill Station in the afternoon. Never-
theless it was a bright little party which left the station and leisurely
strolled up the hill. Professor Boulger, Mr. Britten and Mr. Jackson
(of the Kew Museum) acted as botanical guides, philosophers and friends.
The rich chalk-flora, comprising such plants as the Yellow-wort (Chlora
perfoliata), Squinancy-wort (Asperula cynanchica), Pyramidal Orchis
(Orchis pyramidalis), Deadly Nightshade—the true plant (Atropa
belladonna), not the Bitter-Sweet (Solanum dulcamara) so often mistaken
for it—and the like attracted much attention ; so did an approaching
storm, which induced us to hurry our steps to the top of the hill,
where we took refuge under the Box trees—and it is not every day
that such a shelter is possible—until the storm was nearly over. We
should have waited longer, but Dr. Cooke, hearing sounds of debate upon
political matters, and apparently forgetful that politics are distinctly
allowed at the Athenaeum meetings (although "Forest polities" alone
pass muster at the Field Club's discussions), induced us to face the
elements under the plea that the rain had ceased—a fiction which, let
us hope, was dealt with by the recording angel as lightly as Uncle
Toby's oath, on account of the amiable intention which prompted it.
We then wound our way down the other side of the hill, where the large
edible snail (Helix pomatia) was observed, and proceeded through
Norbury Park to Leatherhead—a charming walk, rendered all the more
so by the beautiful afternoon which succeeded the storm. The ladies
performed the long walk with much pluck, but neither they nor their
companions were sorry when the "Swan" was reached, where a pleasant
social tea awaited the travellers; our comfort being secured in every
way by the kind exertions of Dr. Samuel Johnson, the Hon. Secretary to
the Richmond Athenaeum. The delay on the hill caused us to fear we
should lose Prof. Boulger's promised address; but on arriving at the
station Mr. Britten proposed that it should be delivered there. So we
assembled at one end of the platform, attracting so much attention from
a signalman that we feared he might forget his trains, and Mr. Boulger
spoke as follows :—
" It gives me great pleasure, as one born within ten miles of where we
now are, to meet the members of the Richmond Athenaeum to-day. As
I have been asked to say a few words on the botany of the district, I
would begin by reminding you that a new county Flora is in preparation
to replace the useful work of Brewer, now hardly on a level with our
modern knowledge. When that work was published it was usual to
divide counties for botanical convenience into districts of approximately
equal size, separated by roads, canals, or any artificial lines; but I
have with the writers of several of our best recent county floras, been
much impressed with the importance of a more natural system. Surrey
is divided in a very marked manner by the different geological forma-
tions that occur in it. We stood to-day on a point of the chalk ridge,
or ' escarpment.' In front of us, separated by a narrow valley of gault
clay, was the parallel lower green-sand ridge, of which Leith Hill is the