264); it is curious that
the old name "urchin" has been superseded in some places by
"hedgehog," but still survives in the "sea-urchin," and is also used
for a troublesome boy.
It is very interesting, when cycling, to notice the changes in passing
from one geological formation to another, and in railway travelling,
with a geological map, one can quickly observe the transition; the
cuttings give an immediate clue, and the contours of the surface and
the agriculture are further guides. The alteration in the flora is
particularly marked in passing from the Bagshot Sands, for instance,
to the Chalk, or from the Lias Clay to the Lias Limestone or the
Oolite; the lime-loving plants appear on the Chalk and Limestone, and
disappear on the Sands and Clays.
The sunken appearance of the old roads is one of the best proofs of
their antiquity, and one is inclined to wonder at their windings, but
in following the tracks across the Forest moors one gets an insight
into the way roads originated. The ancients simply adopted the line of
least resistance by avoiding hills, boggy places, and the deep parts
of streams, choosing the shallow fordable spots for crossing. The
winding road is, of course, much more interesting and beautiful than
the later straight roads of the Romans, though no doubt many of the
former were improved by the invaders for their more important traffic.
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