CARDAMINE. 75 



selected. This flower has been usually described by the 

 poets as of a silvery whiteness, which shows the season they 

 have chosen for their rural walks to have been a late one ; 

 as, in its natural state, it is more or less tinged with purple, 

 but becomes white as it fades, by exposure to the heat of 

 the sun. " The allusions to the whiteness of the corollas," 

 says Rousseau, " will not hold, for they are commonly 

 purple." 



The various shades of these flowers, with the little green 

 leaves that enclose the unopened buds, have an exceedingly 

 pretty effect when a quantity of them are collected ; and 

 if kept in fresh water, and well supplied, they will survive 

 their gathering for a fortnight or more. The young leaves 

 are eaten in salads. 



The double varieties are white or purple : they are in- 

 creased by parting the roots in autumn. They love the 

 shade, and should be plentifully watered every evening. 

 It is called the Cuckoo-flower, because it comes at the same 

 time with the cuckoo ; and, for the same reason, the name 

 has been given to many other flowers. Shakspeare's 

 Cuckoo-buds are yellow, and supposed to be a species of 

 ranunculus. Indeed, he expressly distinguishes Ms Cuckoo- 

 bud from this flower : 



" WTien daisies pied, and violets blue. 

 And lady's-smocks all silver white. 

 And cuckoo-buds of yellow hue. 

 Do paint the meadows with delight." 



" So have I seen a ladie-smock soe white, 

 Blown in the mornynge, and mowd down at night." 



Chatterton's Battle of Hastings. 



