THE HEATH. 105 



The third species is nearly as abundant as the 

 first. It has small pink flowers, divided into four 

 deep segments, in which particular it differs from 

 all the other species. Properly speaking, it is 

 not a heath at all, but belongs to another genus, 

 Calluna or Ling. It resembles the other species, 

 however, so closely in its general appearance, 

 mode of growth, locality, &c., that it is as fre- 

 quently called by one name as the other. In 

 Scotland it is commonly called " heather," a word 

 which also includes the other common species. 

 Its foliage is more beautiful than that of either 

 of the kinds, resembling chenille. The heaths are 

 all troublesome plants to dry for botanical pur- 

 poses; for after they have been a few days in 

 paper the leaves fall off, a circumstance which is 

 accounted for on the supposition, that the stem 

 retains the vital principle for a long time, and 

 throws off the dead leaves as it would if it were 

 still growing. Most probably this is the case, for 

 if the whole plant be immersed in boiling water 

 before it is put to dry, and thus killed, none of 

 the leaves will fall off. 



Of the Furze we have two species. One of these 

 sometimes attains a height of eight or ten feet ; I 

 recollect, indeed, to have seen one at Carclew, in 

 Cornwall, so high that when I was on horseback 

 I could scarcely reach its top with my cane. This 

 species has large pale yellow flowers, which ap- 

 pear in spring, and convert the bush (at other 

 times so unsightly) into a blaze of gold. 



The hardy Furze, 



In yellow lustre glows, a sea of gold, 

 Teeming with potent fragrance more intense 

 When in unclouded majesty the sun 

 Walks his meridian path." 



