SNAr-DRAGON. ICI 



SNAP-DRAGON. Antirrhinum. 



Natural Order Pcrsonatce. A Genus o^ihe DidyJiamia 

 Aiigiospennia Class. 



Of colours, clianging from the sjtlendid Rose 

 To the pale Violet's dejected hue. 



Akexside. 



The stern aud furious lion's gaping mouth. 



Columella. 



This singular flower is made the emblem of pre- 

 sumption, from its monopetalous corolla forming a 

 mask, which resembles the face of an animal ; and it 

 has from hence received various names, as Dog's 

 Mouth, Lion's Snap, Toad's Mouth, and Snap- 

 Dragon. On pressing the sides of this flower it 

 opens like a gaping mouth, the stigma appearing to 

 represent the tongue ; on removing the pressure, 

 the lips of the corolla snap together, and hence it 

 has been named Snap-Dragon. It is frequently 

 called Calf's Snout, from the form of its seed ves- 

 sel, and the French name it Mufle de Veau on the 

 same account. 



The Snap-Dragon belongs to the family of the 

 Toad-Flax, and is a flower which we cannot exa- 

 mine without admiring how wonderfully it is adapted 



