rather than of progressive change. The Aquilegia, Polygala vulgaris (Milk- 

 wort) and Soabiosa arvensis (Scabious), which last I have found of all shades from 

 pink ranging through blue to a blueish white, may be taken as illustrations of the 

 remark made about the Polemonium. 



3. Yellow passes into white. This is the case with the Agrimonia Eupatoria 

 (Agrimony), which fades from orange into a dingy white. The converse is the 

 fact with the Primrose, which advances from a pale straw colour to an orange, 

 and becomes brown as it fades. 



4. The change from white into purple is illustrated by the change of the 

 snow-white blossoms of the O.xalis Acetosella (wood-sorrel), which become purple 

 as they fade ; while the tips of the perianth of the Daisy sometimes become pink 

 or purple as the flower opens. A parallel effect may be seen in the upper part of 

 the bulb of the Turnip, which turns purple as the bulb increases in size. 



5. In rare cases, red gives way to golden yellow ; the buds of the fitly 

 named Hypericum pulchrum, when near opening, are tipped with crimson, but 

 the flower becomes all golden when expanded. 



The distribution of colour is, beyond question, thermal, whether we consider 

 its chronology or its geography. These two departments, indeed, fitly illustrate 

 each other. As we advance towards the perpetual line of snow, we find the 

 hues of vegetation fading into white, just as the Galanthus nivalis (Snow-drop) 

 marks the snowy time of the year. There are some exceptions in each depart- 

 ment — the " red snow," a minute crimson lichen of arctic regions, and the purjjle 

 blossoms of the Daphne Mezereon, in February to wit — but the rule nevertheless 

 holds. In the same manner, the temperate zone with its wealth of flowers of all 

 shades of white, blue, yellow, and pink, deepening into red, is paralleled by " the 

 flowery lap of May,'' from which a dower of beauty, yet all of the more delicate 

 hues, is poured over hill and dale. The deep reds and purples of summer are in 

 likewise paralleled by the gorgeous hues of tropical vegetation. As the purples 

 of the foxglove, the willow herb, and the vetch (Vicia Cracca) ; the crimson of the 

 Lychnis, and the deep blue of the Hyacinthus nonsci-iptus (harebell) fade away 

 from our hedges and hill-sides, the reign of yellow flowers succeeds. As the eye 

 wanders from the orange of the tall Verbascum Thapsus and V. nigrum (mulleins) 

 to the beautiful straw coloured spikes of the Linaria vulgaris (toad-flax) the golden 

 star clusters of the Senecio Jacobwa (ragwort), and the broad flat flowers of the 

 Inula Helenium (elecampane), while the delicate yellow tint of the hawkweeds 

 leads the eye to the cheerful-looking Chamomile, with its fringe of white around 

 a yellow centre, we feel tliat autumn in the hedgerows is in keeping with autumn 

 in the fields ; and that the lusty maturity of the year is golden in aspect as in 

 produce. Most compound flowers now flourish, and all of them that are now in 

 bloom are yellow ; the connexion of that hue with flowers of the natural order 

 CompositcB being not the least curious fact of the whole. Through the dreary 

 months of winter, some of the hawkweeds are to be found, their lemonhued 

 flowers keeping us company until January brings us the bright yellow of the 

 dandelion, and the duller tint of the groundsel, to help us on until the bright 

 spring completes the circle with 



" The yellow cowslip, and the rathe primrose." 



