io8 The Scottish Natui-alist. 



is also called goose-grass, as being a favourite food of geese,. 



though probably a corruption of gorse-grass, from its rough- 

 ness. 

 Chasbol, or Chesbowe, the Poppy. Some light may be thrown on 



this name from the Belgian name for the poppy, sleep-boll, or 



bowl inducing sleep, from its resemblance to a bowl and its 



soporific property. 

 Next, English names as derived from other languages, e.g. 

 Saxifrage (splenwort), Latin for stone-breaker, because it was 



supposed good for breaking up stones in the human bladder.. 

 Sassafras, a kind of Laurel, was so named for the same reason. 

 Sage, Latin, salvus, sound or whole ; French, sauge, from belief in 



its healing powers. 

 Sloe, Dutch sleeuw, meaning sour, from its tartness. 

 Witch-elm, Anglo-Saxon wice, bending or drooping, from its 



pendulous branches. 

 Bryony, from Greek |S/>u«, denoting luxuriant growth. 

 Thyme, Greek e^o; from its sweet smell. French ihym, pro- 

 nounced " tim," hence the silent " h " in our word " Thyme." 

 Hoarhound (Marrubium vulgare), Anglo-Saxon hore-hune, literally,. 



strongly-scented. 

 Agrimony, Greek a^j^v, white spot, because supposed to remove 



white spots from the eyes. 

 Ane?none, Greek, av^w, wind-flower (same root as animal : an, to 



breathe), so called from the action of the wind on its leaves. 

 Pansy, or hearfs-ease. French, penser, to think ; the flower of 



thought or remembrance. 

 Narcissus, Greek vupxi<r<ros, from va^, numbness, or deadness, from 



the narcotic quality of the plant. 

 Noli-me-tangere, Latin, for (freely) " you must not touch me : " a 



plant of the genus Impatiens. The seed-vessels, on being 



touched, when the seeds are ripe, assume a spiral form and 



leap from the stalk. 

 Lawyers [Rosa canina), from the thorny stems, because, as has. 



been well said, if they once get hold of you, you don't easily 



get away. 

 Nyctanthes, Greek for night-flower, because it exhales its rich 



odour after sunset. 

 Mignonette, French migno?i, darling, as being a little flower much 



thought of. 

 Daisy, lit., "Day's eye," because it is open in daylight, and closes. 



up at sunset. Chaucer says of it : 



