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HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



and we so far from the station too ! " May not this 

 be the name Bacon mistook for " Wincopipe" ? I 

 think it is just the name children or country people 

 would give the pimpernel, as it is always winking or 

 peeping. The word is variously sounded in different 

 districts about here : thus, Wink-a-peep, Wink-o- 

 peep, Wink-un-peep, Wink-un-peeip, and in some 

 parts of Cheshire they sound it something like Win- 

 co-poipe. The word or words are really Wink-and- 

 peep. — S. B. B., Manchester. 



Scarlet Pimpernel, — Lord Bacon calls this 

 plant " Wincopipe," and noticed " if the flowers be 

 close shut up, it betokeneth rain and foul weather ; 

 contrariwise, if they be opened abroad, fair weather." 

 May not possibly the word winco be derived from 

 the old Saxon word winken — which signifies to wink 

 or close ? And is not " pipe " or " pip " the same term 

 as is now commonly applied hy floriculturists to these 

 wheel-shaped flowers, such as the primrose, cowslip, 

 polyanthus, &c, which have very distinct centres, 

 forming what by botanists is called an eye ? Hence, 

 we judge that " Wincopipe," which we presume means 

 a winking or closing eye, was formerly given to this 

 plant on account of its peculiarity in this respect. 

 The Latin word pipio, to peep, may probably, we 

 think, have some connection with the word " pipe." 

 We are not aware that this local name is still applied 

 to this interesting'plant in any part of Great Britain 

 at the present time, but it is still known by the 

 names of " Shepherds' Barometer" and " Poor Man's 

 Weather-glass," which names are very appropriate. 

 The Pimpernel is also one of the best " florae horo- 

 logies," or clocks, opening its petals in our latitude 

 about 7.10 a.m., and closing them between 2 and 

 3 o'clock p.m. The Pimpernel is bright scarlet, 

 with generally a purple eye; and it is, with the 

 exception of the poppy, our only scarlet wild flower. 

 Of the genus Aiiagallis (Pimpernel), we have, ac- 

 cording to Bentham two species only, A. arvensis 

 and A. tenella ; the former, however, contains two 

 well-marked varieties, one blue and the other red, 

 which are considered by some botanists as distinct 

 species, under the names of A. ccerulea and A. 

 arvensis. Whether it may be more convenient to 

 treat them as true species, or as mere varieties, it 

 must at least be admitted that they differ consider- 

 ably. Not only are they of different colours, the 

 one blue, the other red, but A. ccerulea is very 

 decidedly smaller. The stamens and pistils ripen 

 simultaneously, and therefore it would appear that 

 they generally fertilize themselves, and the flowers 

 contain no honey, and partially close (as before 

 remarked) about 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Darwin 

 "presumes from observation that the blue and red 

 flowered forms of the Pimpernel, A. arvensis, which 

 are sterile when crossed, are not merely fleeting 

 varieties, but specifically distinct." Both the Blue 

 and Scarlet Pimpernel were known to ancient 

 writers, who were pleased to term the blue-flower- 

 ing variety the "female," and the red the "male 

 Imperial Pimpernel " ; which idea Withering seems 

 to have had when he published his early arrange- 

 ment of "British Plants" in 1812, as he "represents 

 there, " Scarlet Pimpernel, male ; Blue Pimpernel, 

 female." Which notion the foregoing remarks will 

 prove to be without foundation.— E. Edwards. 



"Sylvan Sketches."— I should be obliged if 

 any of your correspondents could tell me the name 

 of the author and date of publication of this book. 

 My copy, which was bought at a bookstall about 

 twenty years since, has evidently been rebound, and 

 the title-page is wanting. It contains a description 



of the trees and shrubs, native and introduced, 

 which are to be found in Great Britain, each under 

 its respective heading, with much pleasant and in- 

 structive matter, and many poetical references ; 

 and, from the style of type and quality of the 

 paper, I should imagine it was published some time 

 during the first forty years of the present century. — 

 Martin Gardner. 



The First Primrose. 



Between two hedges void of bloom, 



I wander'd on a sunny day ; 



So narrow was the winding way 

 That I had scarcely elbow-room ! 



I wonder'd where the laughing Spring 

 Had hidden all her treasures fair, 

 I long'd to breathe a softer air, 



And hear the Summer's minstrels sing. 



But Spring would shortly come, I knew. 

 Veil'd in a labyrinth of flowers, 

 And with the fragrant glowing hours 



Would come divinest music too ! 



Whilst musing thus my glances fell 



Upon a primrose, barely seen 



Amid its mossy couch of green, 

 That did of coming glories tell ! 



When swiftly through my teeming brain 

 Elash'd visions of a brighter time — 

 A softer sky, a balmier clime — 



When Spring should kiss my cheek again ! 



Yes, lovely herald ! thou didst wake 

 To life within my yearniug breast 

 Such holy thoughts of coming rest, 



I love thee for thy mother's sake ! 



And for thine own ! for thou wert brave 

 To tempt the nipping frosty wind ; 

 And thus, the earnest of thy kind, 



To point to winter's early grave ! 



F. B. Bo vet on, Exeter. 



Anagallis arvensis is still known among 

 country-people in Cheshire and Shropshire a* 

 " Wink-a'-peep." Doubtless Lord Bacon's " winco- 

 pipe," as quoted by "E. W." in kit month's 

 Science-Gossip, has the same derivation— namely, 

 Wink and peep— from the habit the flower pos- 

 sesses of closing and winking in damp, and opening 

 or peeping again in fine weather.— E. H., Chester. 



Anagallis arvensis. — I have learnt from a kind 

 friend that the Anagallis arvensis (scarlet pimpernel) 

 is still known amongst the country people in Staf- 

 fordshire by the name of " Wink-and-peep." — E. 

 Edwards. 



Encounter with a Polecat. — A fact came under 

 my notice very lately of which I was unaware ; viz., 

 the extreme boldness of the Polecat. Walking on 

 the summit of one of our South Coast downs, I 

 came upon one of those animals, busily engaged in 

 (I presume) rabbit- hunting, and about twenty yards 

 from me. Turning round in the course of his inves- 

 tigations he caught sight of me, and surveyed me 

 fixedly for a moment; but evidently concluding I 

 was of no consequence, resumed them with the 

 utmost indifference to my propinquity. Not having 

 met with this animal before in a state of nature, I 

 was anxious to obtain a nearer look at him, and 

 with this view took advantage of the nature of the 

 ground, and, descending a slope on my left, came 

 up again at a point which brought me within six or 

 eight yards of him. Care for my presence ? Not a 



