Foxglove and Toadflax 265 
capsule, the seed-eggs have become full-sized seeds 
and are ripening. Should the ripe capsule open in its 
present position, the seeds would fall upon the ground, 
whence the young plants could not attain to the 
wall-top. But the results are so remarkable that 
without taking count of the methods by which they 
are brought about, one is almost justified in declaring 
that the cleverness of the plant overcomes what 
would be a disaster to a species that trails down 
instead of climbing up. As the capsule ripens, the 
stalk again curls, but this time towards the wall, with 
which the capsule is brought into contact. The 
curling-up is continued until the further progress of 
the capsule is stayed by getting stuck against the 
roof of a chink. There, in due time, the capsule 
splits open, and the seeds fall into the chink. If these 
seeds are examined with a lens, they will be found 
to be covered with ridges and wrinkles, so that they 
are not likely to roll out of the crevice where, at the 
proper time, they germinate and provide new material 
for the beautifying of the unlovely wall. 
The Yellow Toadflax (L. vulgaris) is an upright- 
‘ growing plant, with long slender and closely-beset 
leaves of a glaucous hue, and bright-yellow spurred 
flowers in a terminal raceme. Before the « 
flowers appear, this plant looks not unlike 
a densely-leaved Flax-plant, and from this 
appearance the popular name is derived, 
the prefix “toad” being given from a 
fancied resemblance between the mouth of 
the flower and that of a toad; the name Y#!!ow Toadflax 
Linaria is also suggested by Linum, the scientific 
name of Flax. The orange palate of the lower lip 
