122 FLORA HISTORICA. 



MONirS-HOOD OR WOLFFS-BANE. 



Aeon I turn. 



Natural Order MuUisiliquce. Ranunculacefe, Juss. A 

 Genus of the Polyandria Trigynia Class. 



L'Aconit, au sue malfaisant, 

 Comme s'il s'armait pour la guerre, 

 Eleve un casque menacant. 



We could never find sufficient beauties in these 

 plants to justify their common cultivation in our 

 pleasure grounds, and we shall be glad to see them 

 entirely expelled from the gardens of the cottagers, 

 where they are generally found in greatest abun- 

 dance. In our history of the Aconitum we shall 

 have to relate such terrible effects of its virulent 

 nature as must make us rejoice that it is not an in- 

 digenous plant of our soil. 



The lines of Virgil may be happily used on this 

 occasion : 



Our land is from tlie rage of tigers freed, 



Nor nourishes the lion's angry seed, 



Nor pois'nous Aconite is here produced, 



Or grows unknown, or is, when known, refused. 



Dryden', 



The ancients, who were unacquainted with 



