RANUNCULACE/E 



27 



or less "butter-coloured." In the country a bigger 

 child will often hold a buttercup under the chin 

 of a smaller one to see, by the yellow reflection, 

 whether the little one " is fond of butter." 



The white Water Crowfoots, found in shallow 

 pools and slowly running or standing water, are 

 not acrid. 



Comparatively few insects feed on Buttercups ; 

 but some small beetles, about a quarter of an inch 

 in length, may sometimes be found in the flowers. 

 One of these, Prasocuris marginella, is black, with 

 the thorax and wing-cases bordered outside with 

 dull orange ; another, Cryptocephalus sericeus, is of 

 a bright golden green. Besides these, the larvae 

 of various small saw-flies and two-winged flies mine 

 in the substance of the leaves. 



The Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris) grows 

 commonly in marshy places in large clusters, and 

 has large leaves and bright orange flowers, resem- 

 bling those of a gigantic buttercup, and composed 

 of 5 sepals, the petals being obsolete. The Globe- 

 flower (Trollius europceus) is yellow, with from 10 

 to 15 broad yellow sepals converging inwards, and 



forming a kind of globe nearly concealing the rest 

 of the flower. It is common in mountainous 

 districts both in Britain and on the Continent. 



Monkshood — A conitum Napellus 

 (Plate IV) 



This is a tall, erect plant, 2 or 3 feet high, with 

 slender, deeply cut leaves, and large purplish blue 

 flowers, composed of 5 sepals j the petals are 

 rudimentary. It is sometimes called " helmet- 

 flower," from the shape of the upper sepal ; and 

 also " wolf s-bane," having formerly been used by 

 hunters to poison wolves. It is one of the most 

 poisonous of all our native plants. With us it is 

 more of a garden than a wild plant ; but on the 

 Continent it is very abundant in many mountainous 

 districts, though not found everywhere. It is a 

 dangerous plant in a garden, for after the plant 

 has died down the fleshy roots have sometimes 

 been mistaken for horse-radish, and have been 

 eaten with fatal results. 



Nevertheless, several insects feed on this plant, 



