Transactions. 6 1 



Harebell. — This flower (Cymb. IV., 2) is considered our own 



craw-iae. 



" Sweet the craw-tae's early bell 

 Decks Glenififer's dewy dell." 



Tannahill. 



In Shakespeare it is associated with another spring flower. 



" Thou shalt not lack 

 The flower that's like thy face, pale primrose, nor 

 The azured harebell, like thy veins." 



Hemlock. — In " Macbeth " we have — 



" Root of hemlock digg'd i' the dark " 



among the horrid ingredients of the witclies' cauldron. Its 

 scientific name Conium means a cone or top, whose whirling 

 motion resembles the giddiness its poisonous juice produces. 



Holy Thistle. — This is the Carduus Benedictus found growing 

 on the banks of the Euchan, Sanquhar, perhaps its only inland 

 station in our county. 



" Get you some of this distilled Carduits Benediclus and lay it to your 

 heart ; it is the only thing for a qualm." 



Much Ado, .(c, ///., 4. 



Ivy. — It was a custom to hang a bush of Ivy at a vintner's 

 door. Hence the illusion to it in " As you like it." 



" If it be true that good wine needs no bush, 'tis true that a good play 

 needs no epilogue." 



rolyyonum Aviculare, or " Knotgrass." 



" Get you gone, you dwarf, 

 You minimus of hindering knotgrass made, you bcatl, you acorn." 



Mulmimmer, <C-c. , ///., J. 

 Lady Sinocks. 



" And Lady smocks, all silver white." 



This seems to mean our Cardamine pratense. Gerald says — 



" It flowers in April and May." 



LoTig Purples. — These are generally considered to be the early 

 purple orchis. In Tynron they are called " bull-dairies." 

 Shakespeare also calls them " Dead men's fingers," from the pale 

 colour and hand-like shape of the tubers. 



" Our cold maids do dead men's fingers call them." 



One would have guessed these to have been fox-gloves, known 

 in Scotland as " Dead men's bells." But that would not suit 

 Ophelia's garland, containing a yellow ranunculus, for the 



