958 



the spring crocus, waifs from the empurpled meads below. From their 

 flowering about that time, daffodils are called in Hants and other 

 parts of the country Lenten lilies, corrupted in some places into Lan- 

 tern lilies. Daffodil, or, as Turner writes it, Affodill, is plainly a 

 mere corruption of Asphodel, Asphodelus, A<r(pofaho$, a word applied 

 to many plants belonging to this and allied natural orders, the Coro- 

 nariae of Linneus. The flowers of our common wild daffodil are re- 

 ported to be poisonous ; the bulbs, as in most of the plants of the 

 order, are acrimonious, and it is said emetic. 



The beautiful summer Snowflake {Leucojum cestivum) will very 

 probably be found to inhabit this county. It grows in the adjacent 

 ones of Berks and Dorset ; in the former near Reading, and in the 

 latter near Kingston Hall, as I have been informed by its finder, J. 

 C. Dale, Esq. It should be looked for in moist meadows, by streams, 

 &c. I found this species in universal cultivation in the gardens of 

 Charleston (U. S.) as the snowdrop, and had some trouble to persuade 

 the people there that it was not the- true plant so called in Europe, 

 which cannot endure even the winter of that sultry climate. 



■\Galanthus nivalis. In meadows and pastures, on banks, amongst 

 brushwood, in groves, thickets, and hedges in close lanes, also (natu- 

 ralized) in orchards and on grass-plats, &c. In several parts of the 

 Isle of Wight, but scarcely in any where it is quite above suspicion of 

 having escaped from cultivation. In great profusion on the steep 

 wooded banks of Snowdrop Lane, immediately west of Gatcombe 

 Park, between that and Ganson's or Gaskin's Barn ; and in almost 

 equal abundance, at Gillman's, near Champion's ; Mr. G. Kirk- 

 patrick!!! In a little wood by the Yar, near Thorley, and its east 

 bank below Freshwater Mill, in plenty ; Rev. James Penfold !!! At 

 King's Quay, Id. Banks by the road-side before coming to Chale 

 from Blackgang, in great abundance ; Dr. A. G. Martin. Field near 

 Shorwell, Mr. Mark Taylor. I am told it grows in several places 

 about Chillerton, and in various spots adjoining to Gatcombe Park. 

 Naturalized under trees beneath the rookery at Nunwell ; Mr. J. 

 Lawrence !!! At the grove by Adgeton, near Brading (naturalized) ; 

 the late Lady Brenton !! I find few memoranda amongst my notes 

 of any station for the snowdrop on mainland Hants, yet I can scarcely 

 doubt of its growing, either indigenous or naturalized, in many places 

 therein. From its early flowering and quick disappearance after- 

 wards, its haunts are in general known only to the resident, and not 

 to the passing botanist, which in a great degree accounts for my 

 ignorance of its distribution out of the island. Not uncommon ap- 



