4'20 CORRESPONDENCE. 



nounced. If it be objected to this that the flower of the Veronica is blue, I cart 

 only say that several species are purple, especially before expansion ; and indeed in 

 Scotland, Phillips tells us that "the sprigs of Brooklime (Veronica beccabunga) 

 are brought to market under the name of Water-purpie." I think this last fact is 

 decisive. The poets, too, have often given the appellation of " purple " to the 

 spring, no doubt having in view the various flowers then springing up, which 

 combine their roseate and blue tints at a little distance into a blush of purple, as 

 in the following quotation from Mason : — 



" Pride of the year, purpureal Spring I attend, 

 And in the cheek of these sweet innocents 

 Behold your beauties pictured." 



I wish Mr. Morris, who has ably assaulted the ornithological nomenclature, or 

 some other correspondent of The Naturalist, would, seriatim, give us the deri- 

 vations of the names of genera in the British Flora. It would doubtless call 

 up some agreeable criticism. For, of course, when Greek meets Greek then 

 comes the tug of war. My present derivation, however, is Soman versus Greek. 

 I am afraid you will feel inclined to say to this verbose disquisition — vox et prce- 

 terea nihil! 



Anecdote op a Dog. 



Welchpool, August 18, 1837. 



I open my letter again to announce — as the correspondents of the daily press 

 sa y — that I was unable to fill up my sheet before leaving home, and therefore 

 advance to the attack again. As I think myself legitimately entitled to rest my 

 understanding when flitting about, I become, as you will easily perceive, a picker 

 up of " unconsidered trifles," having my eyes open even to the vagaries of a fly. 

 I can only say, in justification of myself, that " trifles make the sum of human 

 things." 



In travelling by coach between Worcester and Bridgenorth, I noticed a little 

 Dog of a half terrier breed following the coach at the top of his speed, and at 

 first concluded that he must belong to a passenger, who was thus rather cruelly 

 trying his powers. I found, however, on enquiry, that this was not the case, 

 the coachman stating that the Dog had followed the coach from Cheltenham, it 

 was presumed on some business of his own, as nobody knew him. As the coach 

 stopped a moment at a public-house on the road an attempt was made to capture 

 the Dog, but to no purpose; he rushed forward alone, and was soon again visi- 

 ble in his old position, rattling along in the wake of the coach. Curiosity 

 induced me to watch his motions, and I now found whenever the coach stopped 

 to change horses, he walked quietly on, and was found resting on the edge of a 



