272 EARLY NAMES OF PLANTS. [^September, 



not find it. I intended to ask the learned editoi' of ' Notes and 

 Queries' for information, but feared I might not get a satisfactory- 

 answer^ as some of his notes on the ancient names of flowers are 

 puzzling ; for instance, the question was asked in last month's 

 journal, what herb John-in-the-pot was, referring to the word in 

 Gurnall's ' Christian Armour,' who says, '' It does not much good 

 nor harm;''' and the editor, after exhausting all the Johns he 

 could find, including John-go-to-bed-at-noon, which he tells us is 

 the Pimpernel, goes to the Jacks, which he says are Joh7is one 

 degree removed, and gives his opinion that " Jack-by-the-hedge, 

 or Sauce-alone, Alliaria," might have been the ancient herb John- 

 in-the-Pot. 



There have been in ^ Notes and Queries' many definitions of the 

 Culverkey, to show what floM^er Izaak Walton intended in the 

 following passage (chap. 16 of his 'Angler') : — "Looking down 

 the meadow I could here see a boy gathering Lilies and Lady- 

 smocks, and there a girl cropping Cidverkeys and Cow^slips, all 

 to make garlands suitable to this present month of May." Wal- 

 ton also refers to the, same plant in some lines by Jo. Davors 

 (which he quotes), called " azure Culverkey s." 



A correspondent in ' Notes and Queries,' in a.nsw^er, says : — 

 " Culverkeys : I think this is White Clover — Cleofer-wort in 

 Saxon, from cleofan, to cleave. As to key, the parts of a clo- 

 ver-leaf much resemble the top of an ancient key. White Clover 

 blossoms at the same time as the Cowslip, and flourishes in a 

 like situation, moist, not wet. The Ash and Catkin-keys I con- 

 sider of another class, and they resemble keys on a lady's chate- 

 laine.— F. C. B." 



This explanation is to me incomprehensible. The ' Phytolo- 

 gist ' told us in a recent number that Culverkey was the Snake's- 

 hood {Fritillaria Meleagris) , which is nearer the mark ;], but 

 looking to the distinctive colour, azure Culverkey, I would ven- 

 ture to say that Walton's flower is the Harebell, Hyacinthus non- 

 scriptus. 



In Shakespeare's ' Tempest,' he speaks, in act iv. scene 1, of — 



" Broom groves 

 Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves, 

 Being lass-lorn ! " 



In Steeveas and Johnson's edition of the poet's works, Mr. 

 Tollett has the following amusing note : — " Disappointed lovers 



