130 WILD FLOWERS OF 



his knowledge ; but he has done more than this he 

 has communed with his own spirit amidst rocks and 

 clouds ; and above the hoarse-voiced waving of the 

 trees of the wood, he has heard a voice whose solemn 

 intonations follow his recollections into the common 

 walks of life. The secluded forest has now become 

 the adytum of his secret thoughts, where he flies like 

 a wearied bird to its roost ; and disappointment and 

 woe only add an increase to the sacred feelings with 

 which he regards it. 



Towards the close of April the spring Blue-bell 

 (Scilla or Agraphis nutans), opens its nodding flowers 

 FOESTEE intimates on ST. GEOEGE'S DAT, with 

 which it appears the blue-bell of spring is associated ; 

 but the hue of heaven is not actually profusely trans- 

 ferred to earth by this pretty plant till the brighter 

 days of May appear. Some botanists refer it to the 

 genus Hyacinthus, with which its habit more accords 

 than with Scilla, according to Dr. Hooker, but it has 

 nothing to do with the Hyacinth of antiquity; and 

 hence LINN.STTS distinguished it by the term, " non- 

 scriptus" as having no inscribed characters on its 

 petals. But if it fails in this respect, its beauty on 

 the forest lawn or upland meadow, spangled with the 

 pure dews of the morn ing, excites the most rapturous 

 delights, especially to any one deprived for a time of 

 so fair a spectacle. The untiring naturalist indeed 

 with all the fancy of a poet, can always find supreme 

 delight when on a vernal ramble 



" Tracking some channel on its journey wild, 

 Where dripping blue-bells on its border weep : 

 O what a lovely scene to nature's child !" 



And so have we plunged into the copses bordering 



