28 RANUNCULUS. — CALTHA. 



jectured, been introduced with seed-corn ; but the plant that can trace 

 back its settlement amongst us to the birth of agriculture has assuredly 

 obtairied a right to naturalization. To trace these corn-weeds to their 

 original country, is as hopeless a task as it is to seek for our corns 

 themselves growing in a wild and uutended state. 



The Ranunculi are in general very acrid, but R. repens is alto- 

 gether herbaceous to the taste, and the strictly aquatic species possess 

 acridity in a slight degree only * . The leaves and lower part of the 

 stalk of R. acris are scarcely acrid, but the upper parts of the stem, 

 the petals and stamens are very pungent. The sensation they pro- 

 duce in chewing is stinging, sharp, and of short continuance, being 

 limited to that part of the tongue to which the plant is applied. R. 

 sceleratus is the most active ; and R. flammula claims the next place. 

 —The leaves are often marked with pale sinuous lines, which are 

 produced by the burrowings of a caterpillar that finds a favourite food 

 in their parenchyma. — The flowers of all the species close against 

 rain and at sunset.^ It is a vulgar belief that when predominant in 

 pastures, the flowers of the common species impart their yellowness 

 to the butter of the cows ; but in truth the cattle leave them un- 

 touched, and consequently our fields glow and are gladdened with 

 the golden cups, — "Isetis floribus." — The flowers of the R. ficaria, 

 bulbosus, acris and repens are the 33uttersfup^ of our children, who 

 use them to detect in their playmates any unconfessed and overween- 

 ing fondness for butter, as Cornelius Webb has pleasantly recorded 

 in the following lines : 



" the flowers 



Children hold beneath their chins, 

 So to learn who 't is that sins 

 When the butter wastes by night ] 

 And whose chin looks yellow-bright, 

 That 's the rogue : — if no such luck, 

 Then 'twas ta'en by thievish Pluck." 



18. Caltha palustris. Bing^ctip : 'fi2Eatci?(flonantJ : ^flXoiu- 

 (©otoait : Marsh-Mary gold. — The plashy sides of ponds, and in boggy 

 places, especially amidst alders, common. — May, June. 



"While on burn banks the ^cIIoJll (SotoaiT grows. 

 Or wand'ring lambs rin bleating after ewes. 

 His fame shall last." — Allan Ramsa\". 



James VL, on his accession to the English throne, 1603, conferred 

 upon George, Earl of Dunbar (Raines' N. Durham, p. 32), "the 

 meadow called the Yellow Gowland, near Leatham, and extending to 

 East and West Mordington." This large piece of ground, which 

 embraced Cumberland Bower, Sanson' s-Seal, and Bate's-cross, appears 

 to have got its original name from the prevalence there of the Caltha ; 

 and, perhaps, of the Buttercups in general, " which, in the Border 



* Pennant says that in the Highlands, " the water Ranunculus is used 

 instead of Cantharides to raise blisters." Tour in Scotland, 1772, ii. p. 43. 

 This is a mistake, unless R. flammula is intended. 



