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The Indians used the indelible juice of the san- 

 guinaria root-stock as paint for their faces and 

 weapons. 



These April woods seem full of white flowers, and 

 none is more delicately lovely than the wild dicentra, 

 otherwise known by the ugly name of " Dutchman's 

 breeches." What a pity that these absurd or vulgar 

 names fasten upon some of our daintiest flowers ! . 

 When the warm south hillsides suddenly are covered 

 with the waving plumes of this charming plant, we 

 find it hard to tell which is loveliest — the tassel of 

 white, yellow-tipped bloom, or the fine frilled bluish- 

 green foliage. These leaves are thrice compound, 

 very deeply divided, the edges seeming ruffled, so 

 full is the border of the leaf. The Avhole plant is 

 smooth and shining, a certain fineness and frailty 

 characterizing ever}'' part. Each blossom has two 

 tiny scale-like sepals; the corolla is made up of four 

 closed flat petals with yellow tips. The outer petals 

 are much larger than the inner two, and swell and 

 spread at the tip, ending in deep spurs. The two 

 inner petals are shaped like tiny spoons, and close 

 over the stamens and pistil. A pretty name given 

 in some localities to this flower is " White Hearts," 

 from its heart-shaped corolla. 



No wild flower is more universally beloved — per- 

 haps the violet might be excepted — than the spring 



