15 MARCH 1902, Page 16

ANCIENT WOODLANDS.

[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.")

SIR,—In the last paragraph of an article in your last number on "Ancient Woodlands" there are some startling state- ments about our New Forest flowers,—e.g., that " eyebright grows on the piles along the streamside by Maley Passage, and bears a crowded mass of blue blossoms, which are re- flected in the stream or set off by masses of yellow mari- gold. Does your contributor really mean the eyebright (Euphrasia), or is it his misnomer for the germander speed- well or blue birdseye (Veronica chamaedrys) ? The eyebriglst is not blue, nor fond of a wet place.—I am, Sir, &c.,

[Our correspondent is quite correct. Eyebright was inad- vertently written for blue birdseye.—En. Spectator.]