104 WILD FLOWERS OF MAECH. 



time when the parterre is but scantily furnished with 

 red or purple flowers. Thus we have now 



"A garland for you intertwin'd 



With Violets, Hepaticas, Primroses, 



And coy Anemone, that ne'er uncloses 



Her lips until they're blown on by the wind."* 



The poets of antiquity ran wild as the winds of 

 March in their fables with respect to the origin of 

 the Anemone from the blood of Adonis, or the tears 

 of Venus for his loss. Nor can we admit that the 

 wind primarily uncloses its flowers, although they 

 appear at a windy time. The Pasque or Easter flower 

 (Anemone pulsatilla), is a highly interesting and 

 beautiful plant, appearing, as its name implies, about 

 Easter, but chiefly confined to chalky downs in Eng- 

 land, though occurring also in several places on the 

 oolite of the Cotteswolds, Gloucestershire. The 

 beautiful locality of a hill side at the Seven Springs, 

 near Bourton-on-the- Water, may be instanced. 



* HORACE SMITH'S Amarynthus. 



