pPant/" a^ eKnimafy. 149 



a name given to it by Apuleius, because, when the Hare is fainting 

 with heat or fatigue, she recruits her faiHng strength with it. Dr. 

 Prior gives the following extracfls from old authors respecfting this 

 curious tradition. Anthony Askam says, " yf a Hare eate of this 

 herbe in somer, when he is mad, he shal be hole." Topsell also 

 tells us in his ' Natural History,* p. 209, that " when Hares are 

 overcome with heat, they eat of an herb called Lactuca leporina, that 

 is, the Hare's-lettuce, Hare's-house, Hare's-palace ; and there is 

 no disease in this beast, the cure whereof she does not seek for in 

 this herb." This plant is sometimes called Hare's Thistle. Bupleu- 

 rum rotundifoliuyn is termed Hare's Ear, from the shape of its leaves, 

 as is also Erysimum onentale. Trifolium arvense is Hare's Foot, from 

 the soft grey down which surrounds the blossoms resembling the 

 delicate fur of the Hare's foot. Both Lagunis oratus, and the 

 flowering Rush, Eriophorum vaginatum, are called Hare's Tail, from 

 the soft downy inflorescence. 



Melilotus officinalis is Hart's Clover; Scolopendrinin vulgare, Hart's 

 Tongue; Plantago Cofonopus, Hart's Horn; Scirpns ccespitosus, Deer's 

 or Hart's Hair; Rhamnus catharticus. Hart's or Buck Thorn {Spina 

 cervina); and Toydyliiim maximum, Hart Wort, so called because, 

 as Dioscorides tells us, the juice of the leaves was given to Roes 

 in order that they might speedily be delivered of their young. 

 According to Pliny, the Roman matrons used to employ it for the 

 same purpose, having been "taught by Hindes that eate it to 

 speade their delivery, as Aristotle did declare it before." The 

 Raspberry is still sometimes called by its ancient name of Hind- 

 berry; and the Teucrimn Scorodonia is known as Hind-heal, from an 

 old tradition that it cures Deer when bitten by venomous serpents. 

 The Dittany is said to have the same extraordinary effect on 

 wounded Harts as upon Goats (see Dittany, Part H.). 



Numerous indeed are the plants named after the Horse, either 

 on account of the use they are put to, the shape of their foliage, 

 &c., their large size, or the coarseness of their texture. Inula 

 Helenium is Horse-heal, a name attached to the plant by a double 

 blunder of Inula for hinnula, a Colt, and Helenium, for heal or heel ; 

 employed to heal Horses of sore heels, &c. Vicia Faba is the 

 Horse Bean ; Teucrium Chamcrdyys, the Germander, is called Horse 

 Chire, from its springing up after Horse-droppings. Melampyrum 

 sylvaticum is the Horse Flower, so called from a verbal error. The 

 Alexandrian Laurel was formerly called Horse Tongue. Tussilago 

 Farfara, from the shape of its leaf, is termed Horse Hoof. Centaurea 

 tiigra is Horse Knob. Another name for Colt's Foot is Horse 

 Foot; and we have Horse Thistle, Mint, Mushroom, Parsley, 

 Thyme, and Radish. The Dutch Rush, Equisetum, is called Horse 

 Tail, a name descriptive of its shape; Hippocrepis comosa is known 

 as the Horse-shoe Vetch, from the shape of the legumes; and, 

 lastly, the CEnanthe Phellandrium is the Horse Bane, because, in 

 Sweden, it is supposed to give Horses the palsy. In Mexico, the 



