pfanC Tsorc, Tsecfc'r^/, dni. l9Ljric/'. 507 



Shakspeare makes it a funeral flower for youth : — 



" With fairest flowers 

 Whilst summer lasts, and I live here, Fidele, 

 I'll sweeten thy sad grave : thou shalt not lack 

 The flower that's like thy face, pale Primrose-" 



In recent times, the Primrose has become associated with the 

 memory of Lord Beaconsfield, and a society called the ♦' Primrose 

 League " has been formed, having for its objedt the dissemination 

 of those constitutional principles which were so dear to the late 



Earl. In Germany, the Primrose is called the Schliisselblunie, or 



Key-flower, in reference to the numerous legends of a flower open- 

 ing the locks of doors to treasure-caves, &c.; resembling in its 

 magical funcftions the Russian Rasrivtrava, the Eisenkraut (Vervain), 



the Fern, Mistletoe, Hazel, Springwort, and Moonwort. The 



goddess Bertha is supposed to entice children to enter her enchanted 



halls by offering them beautiful Primroses, Astrologers claim 



the Primrose as a herb of Venus. 



Procession Flower. — See Milkwort. 



PTERIS ESCULENTA.— The New Zealand tohunga, or 

 priest, professes the following rite to be a cure for headache. 

 The officiant pulls out two stalks of the Pteris esculenta, from which 

 the fibres of the root must be removed ; and beating them together 

 over the patient's head, he offers a prayer to Atua. 



PucK-FisT. — See Toadstool. 



PULSATILLA.— In the Ukraine, the Pulsatilla patens is called 

 Sontrava, the Dream-plant. It is believed by the people of the 

 country that the flowers of this plant, which blossoms in the month 

 of April, if placed between the pillow and the bed, will cause the 

 sleeper to dream of what will undoubtedly be accomplished. 



PUMPKIN. — Among the East Indians, there is a legend that 

 there once existed a mighty man named laia, whose only son died. The 

 father wished to bury him, but did not know where. So he placed 

 him in an enormous Pumpkin, which he conveyed to the foot of a 

 mountain, not far from his habitation. Impelled by his love for the 

 departed one, he one day had the curiosity to revisit the spot, and, 

 desirous of once again seeing his son, he opened the Pumpkin. 

 Immediately whales and other immense fish jumped out. laia, 

 affrighted, returned home, and told what he had seen to his neigh- 

 bours, adding that the Pumpkin appeared to be filled with water 

 and quantities of fish. Four brothers who had been born at one 

 time rushed off" in haste to the spot indicated, in order to secure 

 the fish for food, laia followed, to prevent them from injuring the 

 Pumpkin, The brothers, who had succeeded in lifting the gigantic 

 vegetable, were frightened at seeing laia approach, and let fall the 

 Pumpkin, which was, in consequence, cracked in several places. 

 From the fissures thus made poured forth such a volume of water, 



