176 FLORA HISTORICA. 



SNAP-DRAGON. Antirrhinum. 



Natural Order Pei^sonatcc : a Genus of the Didynamia 

 Angiospermia Class. 



** Of colours, chano^ing- from the splendid Rose 

 To the pale Violet's dejected hue." 



Akenside. 



*' The stern and furious lions 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 vessel, and the French name it Mufe 

 de Veau on the same account. 



