278 The Scottish Naturalist, 



could open all the locks by means of this plant." The same 

 old superstition still lingers in the Highlands — 



There is an herb, some say whose virtue's such 

 It in the pasture, only with a touch, 

 Unshoes the new-shod steed. 



"On White-Down, in Devonshire, near Tiverton, there was 

 found thirty horse-shoes pulled off from the feet of the Earl of 

 Essex his horses, being there drawn up into a body, many of 

 them being but newly shod, and no reason known, which caused 

 much admiration ; and the herb described usually grows upon 

 heaths." — Culpepper. 



Ferns frequently formed components in charms. 



" Faigh naoi gasan rainaich 

 Air an gearradh, le tuaigh, 

 A's tri chnaimhean seann-duine 



Air an tarruinn a uaigh," &c. — MTntyre. 



Get nine branches of ferns 



Cut with an axe, 

 And three old man's bones 



Pulled from the grave. 



54 Fern seeds were looked upon as magical, and must be 

 gathered on Midsummer eve." — Scottish and Irish Superstition. 



( To be continued.) 



PRELIMINARY LIST OF THE FLOWERING PLANTS AND 



FERNS OF PERTHSHIRE. 1 



By F. BUCHANAN WHITE, M.D., F.L.S. 



{Continued from page 240.) 



POLYGONACEiE. 

 ccxxxiii. Polygonum L. 



499. Bistorta L. Rare, and always an escape. 



500. Viviparum L. Local in the Lowlands ; common in the 



Highlands. 



501. Amphibium L. Common. The two so-called varieties, 



aquaticum and terresire, are only extreme forms de- 

 pending on situation. 



502. Lapathifolium L. Less common, or overlooked. 



1 On page 232, No. 340, for Var. spathulata Presl., read Var. canesccns 

 Jord. 



