136 SOME HUMBLE ORCHIDS 



seek high places and are seldom found in abun- 

 dance south of Maine, New Hampshire and Ver- 

 mont. It is well called Regina, for it is Queen of 

 a princely family. 



The Yellow Moccasin is a striking flower of 

 the highshaded woodland landscape. The uncleft 

 shoe itself is of a clear smooth yellow, veined with 

 purple ; the other two purplish petals hang as 

 twisted strings, with a hood-like sepal arching be- 

 tween. The flowers, singly or often in pairs, are 

 raised upon a stout, leafy stalk a foot or two above 

 the ground, clearing the more woody undergrowth 

 which serves as a background to deepen their color. 



How the eye loves to linger upon yellow flow- 

 ers! Of the three primary colors, yellow always 

 seems to me the most harmonious under all condi- 

 tions, from the first Marsh Marigold to the last 

 brave wand of Goldenrod. Even after hard frosts, 

 the same cheerful color wraps the low thickets 

 wherever Witch Hazel blossoms, giving the land- 

 scape, through this last flower of the season, a 

 forecast of the Willow tints of early Spring. 



Roughly speaking, without attempting a census, 

 it seems to me that taking the year through, the 

 majority of landscape flowers are yellow. At least, 

 such species as wear this color grow in greater 



