THE HEDGE-BANK. 53 



I will, therefore, only mention the names of a few 

 which you may look out for, and we will seek 

 shelter from the shower, which I apprehend is 

 coming on, in yonder wood. 



Early in May, about the same time that the 

 Cuckoo-pint appears, the " Germander Speed- 

 well"* is very conspicuous with its bright blue 

 flowers, growing generally on banks which are 

 tolerably clear of brambles. The flowers will 

 probably drop off as soon as they are gathered, 

 and the stem droop very soon after ; but if placed 

 in water it will quickly revive, and the unopened 

 buds will expand in a room nearly as well as in 

 their native place, only the flowers will be somewhat 

 smaller, and not so dark in colour. The " Large 

 Stitchwort,"-)- you will, I dare say, find growing 

 near it, and flowering about the same time. It 

 has long wiry stems with leaves like grass, and 

 star-shaped flowers of a dazzling white, shining 

 like satin. I have sometimes, indeed, heard it 

 called " Satin flower." The "Night-shade," or 

 " Bitter sweet," J appears later in the season, 

 bearing bunches of drooping purple and yellow 

 flowers, shaped like those of the potatoe, and 

 scarlet berries. This is sometimes called " Deadly 

 Nightshade," but erroneously, the latter plant 

 being very different, both in appearance and 

 properties. It is much less common than the 

 Nightshade, and is generally found about old 

 quarries, and ruins, bearing large dark green 

 leaves, bell-shaped flowers of a lurid purple hue, 

 and black berries nearly as large as a cherry, 

 which it somewhat resembles, except that its 



f Veronica Chamadrys. f Stellaria holostea. 



if Solanum Dulcamara, p. 54. Atropa Belladonna. 



