MAY". 143 



the woodlands assumes a fresh aspect with the brilliant 

 blue of the wild Hyacinth or English Blue-bell (Agra- 

 phis nutans) ; the golden Broom beautifies the thickets, 

 the Mountain Ash the woods ; many Ranunculi span- 

 gle particular meadows, and in others a profusion of 

 the Meadow Orchis, (0. morio), has a very beautiful 

 effect. In the garden the Tulip is now the " Queen of 

 Beauty," while the shrubberies around are fragrant 

 with the Lilac or resplendent with the Laburnum. 

 This is the favourite season with the poets, the flower- 

 ing thickets being now vocal with the songs of all the 

 migratory warblers. 



" I hail the time of Flowers, 



When Heaven is filFd with music sweet 

 Of birds amons the bowers."* 



The Germander-Speedwell, rivalling with its azure 

 hue the brilliant Blue-bell, is another attendant upon 

 the Vernal floral reign, as is the odorous Wall-flower, 

 the Columbine, the Globe-flower (Trollius Europceus), 

 the Peonies, and the blue Garden Iris (J. Germanica.) 

 The culmination of the Vernal Ploralia is marked by 

 the flowering of the Hawthorn, whose stainless clus- 

 ters breathe such fragrance on the balmy evenings of 

 this period; and where dwarf decrepid individuals cover 

 the declivities of hills like aged pilgrims with flowing 

 silver locks, the ground seems in the dubious twilight 

 as if strewed with newly-fallen snow. 



The approach of the Solstitial Moral Reign is indi- 

 cated by the appearance of the great White Midsum- 

 mer Daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum) , and may 

 be said to be actually apparent when the common 

 Yellow Flag (Iris Pseudacorus), gilds the marshes; 



* LOGAN. 



