REPORT OF LOCAL SOCIETIES. 347 



^'winter's tiuiid child," as it has been happily styled, is a native of 

 Europe and is found in great abundance in England. 

 The bright little crocus blossoms is another which 



"Comes before the swallow dares, 



And takes the winds of March with beauty." 



"Cheerfulness," the gay little iiowers symbolize, and certainly no 

 word can better portray the eflect produced by their first appearance. 

 The beaming glances which they throw at the smiling spring sun seem 

 to deny the truth of the mythological legend which affirms that they 

 bear the name of an unhappy lover, whom the gods in pity changed 

 into this flower. Surely, they were never unhappy. 



Then there are many shrubs "that, at the call of spring, burst forth 

 in blossomed fragrance." The flowering almond, is little rose-shapped 

 forms, clad in pink robes, climbing all over the stalk that bears them ; 

 the bridal wreath, its tiny white flowerets forming a thick covering for 

 the long, slender branches; and the spirea, always a most welcome 

 spring guest. 



The lilac and mock-orange both belong to the genus syringa, 

 though the resemblance is so slight one would hardly expect to find 

 them so closely related. The term syringa is from a Greek word signi- 

 fying pipe^ probably given to this shrub because in early times the 

 wood was used for making pipe stems. A century ago both the lilac 

 and mock-orange were known in old English gardens as "pipe-tree." 



The common lilac, a native of Persia, was carried from its rich 

 eastern home to the countries of Europe in the sixteenth century, to 

 be transplanted again in North America by the European colonists, 

 where it is now half naturalized. Its profusion of bouquet-shaped 

 flowers, with their sweet perfume and delicate colors in white, violet 

 and purple, makes it beautiful both to the eye and to the heart. 



The creamy white petals of of the mock-orange with their centers 

 of golden hue, are not less welcome a little later in the season. The. 

 botanical name, syringa, has been retained for this shrub in spite of 

 the remonstrances of the botanists; who claim that it more properly 

 belongs to the lilac. Its classical name, Philadelphus, was once borne 

 by an Egyptian king, who was celebrated for his untiring afl'ection for 

 for a brother; for this characteristic the syringa was appropriately 

 consecrated to his memory. Hence, it will always be known as the 

 smybol of "fraternal love." 



The snowball, otherwise known as the guelder rose, is found in its 

 ■wild state in the cooler partsof Asia, Europe and North America grow- 



