Feb. 1, 1869.] 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



20 



June 24 ; St. James' Wort (C'apsel/a bursa-pastoris), 

 and many more will be found in herbals. In some 

 cases, however, we must admit that names, referred 

 by modern writers to a similar dedication, have 

 really a very different origin. Herb Bennet, for 

 instance, is said to commemorate St. Bennet or 

 Benedict, although, as I have shown, it has a very 

 different origin ; Timothy-grass (Phleum pratense), 

 which really took that name from being brought into 

 cultivation by one Timothy Hanson, is supposed to 

 have been dedicated to St. Timothy ; Paul's Betony 

 (Veronica officinalis), which, according to Dr. Prior, 

 refers to an old author, Paul iEgineta, who described 

 it as a betony— to St. Paul ; and. so on. In the floral 

 kalendar, the Church's seasons were duly noticed. 

 The Holly (Ilex aquifolium), from its use in church 

 decoration at that season, is in many places still 

 called Christmas ; the Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis), 

 in its old name " Fair Maid of February," comme- 

 morates the feast of the Purification (Feb. 2) ; Lent 

 brings its Lent lilies (Narcissus pseudo -Narcissus) ; 

 Palm Sunday its "palms," as the willow catkins are 

 pretty generally called ; Easter, its Paschal, or 

 Pasque, flower (Anemone Pulsatilla) ; the days 

 preceding the Ascension are referred to in ltogation- 

 flower or Procession-flower (Poly gala vulgaris), 

 which received its name from its use in the garlands 

 which were carried in the religious processions 

 which marked llogation-week ; Herb Trinity (Viola 

 tricolor) pointed to Trinity Sunday; the Virgin's 

 Bower (Clematis) to the Assumption; and the 

 Michaelmas Daisy (Aster) to the feast of SS. Michael 

 •and All Angels. In these enlightened ages we are 

 not supposed to need such aids to faith ; but let us 

 not despise the efforts made in bygone days to bring 

 religion into the daily life of the people by means of 

 the objects which God Himself had created, and 

 which He Himself has told us to " consider." 



But we must pass on to the consideration of 

 another class. Many plants take their names from 

 a resemblance, real or imaginary, to animals, or 

 parts of animals. The tail-like inflorescence of some 

 has suggested many names ; amongst which are 

 Mouse-tail (Hyosurus minimus), with the carpels 

 arranged on the long slender receptacle ; Cat's-tail 

 (Typha latifolia), with a thick stout spike, a name 

 applied also to Phleum pratense (in Cheshire this 

 grass is called Rat's-tail, a title given, in Cumberland, 

 to the Plantain (Plantago major) ; Hare's-tail (La- 

 jgurno ovatus), remarkable for its soft flowerheads ; 

 Squirrel-tail (Hordeum maritimuni) ; and Dog's-tail 

 (Cyuosurus cristatus). The jHorse-tails (Equiseta), 

 flowerless plants, have their loug slender branches 

 growing in whorls up the barren stem : the name is 

 particularly appropriate to E. maximum. The 

 gaping corolla of the Snapdragon (Antirrhinum 

 majus) has suggested, not only that appellation, but 

 the allied ones, Babbit's-mouth, Lion's-snap, and 

 Dog's-mouth ; in Buckinghamshire the Toadflax 



(Linaria vulgaris) is called Dragon-bushes. Dr. 

 Prior says that " snap " is from the Dutch sneb, a 

 snout ; so that Snapdragon means simply Dragon's- 

 snout. In Sussex some of these names are trans- 

 ferred to the Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), which is 

 known at Brighton as Tigcr's-mouth, Dragon's- 

 mouth, and Lion's-mouth ; the wide-open spotted 

 corolla having suggested the titles. The names 

 Geranium, Erodium, and Pelargonium, with their 

 English equivalents, Crane's-bill, Heron's-bill, and 

 Stork's-bill, originated in the long beaked carpels 

 which characterise the various species of those 

 genera. The Hart's-tongue Fern (Scolopendrium 

 vulgare) took its name from the shape of the fronds; 

 in Dorsetshire it is called Hoss (or horse) tongue : 

 the narrow slender spike of Ophioglossum vulgatum 

 accounts for its name, Adder's-tongue : according 

 to Dr. Prior, the Sneezewort (Achillea Ptarmica) is 

 Goose-tongue, "from its finely serrated leaves;" the 

 Hoary Plantain (Plantago media) is Lamb's-tongue; 

 Helminthia echio'ides is Ox-tongue, " from the shape 

 and roughness of its leaf;" while the softness of the 

 foliage of Cynoglossum officinale probably suggested 

 its Greek name, of which the English, Hound's- 

 tongue, is but an equivalent. The shape of its 

 leaf shows the appropriateness of Colt's-foot, as 

 applied to Tussilago Farfara; in Cumberland and 

 Yorkshire this is called Foal-foot, by which it has 

 been known since the time of Gerarde : other names 

 for it are Bull's-foot and Horse-hoof. It is not so 

 easy to explain the meaning of Crowfoot, by 

 which various species of Ranunculus are known ; 

 for if we imagine it to have originated in some 

 fanciful resemblance in the shape of the leaves, the 

 same reason will not account for its application, in 

 Yorkshire and Cumberland, to the Early Purple and 

 Green-winged Orchids (Orchis mascula and 0. morio), 

 unless we suppose that, from the buttercups and 

 orchids growing together, the name may have been 

 extended from one to the other. The Bird's-foot 

 (Oruilhopus perpusillus), and Bird's-foot Trefoil 

 (Lotus coruiculatus) point to the likeness, in the 

 former a very striking one, of the heads of seedpods 

 to a foot or claw : in Buckinghamshire the latter is 

 called Cat's-claws; in Warwickshire, Lambtoes; and 

 elsewhere, Crowtoes. The long projecting nectary 

 of many species of Delphinium suggested the name 

 Lark's-spur, or Lark's-claw ; a name which is ap- 

 plied in Buckinghamshire to the Toadflax (Liuaria 

 vulgaris), from a similar peculiarity in its blossoms. 

 The soft heads of Trifolium r//w#.s<? render Hare's-foot 

 appropriate ; those of the Kidney Vetch (Authyllis 

 vulneraria) are called Lamb-toes ; Dactylis glomerata 

 is • Cock's-foot, from the shape of the panicle 

 (Prior). 



Any one who will take the trouble to look through 

 a list of English plant-names will not fail to observe 

 that many of them have the name of some animal 

 entering into their composition, used in a different 



