BUTTERCUPS. 29 



among children, of holding the flower under the chin, and 

 judging from its reflection whether the individual thus tested 

 "likes butter" — whether this may have originated the name 

 Buttercup, depends, to a great extent, upon the antiquity of the 

 custom itself. Such an origin seems, at least, possible ; but 

 Dr. Prior derives its name from the " French bouton d'or, the 

 cup, being the Old English cop, a head, a word that became 

 obsolete, and was replaced with cup. It will have meant 

 originally but Ion- head." As far as the latter half of the word 

 is concerned, it seems to me that the shape of the blossom 

 at once accounts for it ; and as to the former, if, as Dr. Prior 

 states, the name bouton d'or was originally " given to the 

 double variety," it seems hardly likely that it would, as long 

 ago as Gerarde's time (who gives " Butterfloures" as a syno- 

 nym) have been extended to the wild form. Another old 

 name for R. bulbosus was S. Anthony's Rape, or Turnip. In 

 Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and throughout the Cotswold 

 district Buttercups are known as "Crazies" — a word, which 

 is, in Buckinghamshire embodied in " Butter-creeses" and 

 " Yellow creeses," applied indiscriminately to the three 

 species. "Creese" is but a vulgar pronunciation of "cress ;" 

 and it seems at least possible that "crazies" may be intimately 

 connected with this latter word ; " cress" is usually supposed 

 to be applied especially to cruciferous plants ; it is a word of 

 obscure origin. 



Thus have I endeavoured to show you in plain language a 

 feAV of the more noticeable characteristics of our Buttercups. 

 Should this short paper be fortunate enough to prove interest- 

 ing to any who have not yet begun to study our British plants, 

 I would urge them to make a beginning by collecting as many 

 species of Ranunculus as possible, and observing their pecu- 

 -liarities: they will find in the living plants ample materials 

 for careful study, and an interest far exceeding any which can 

 be raised by mere descriptions. 



JAMES BRITTEN. 

 High Wycombe. 



