192 SPUING AT THE CAPITAL. 



spring beauty, water-cress, violets, a low but- 

 tercup, vetch, corydalis, and potentilla ap- 

 pear. These comprise most of the April 

 flowers, and may be found in great profu- 

 sion in the Rock Creek and Piny Branch 

 region. 



In each little valley or spring run, some 

 one species predominates. I know invaria- 

 bly where to look for the first liverwort, and 

 where the largest and finest may be found. 

 On a dry, gravelly, half-wooded hill-slope, 

 the birds-foot violet grows in great abun- 

 dance, and is sparse in neighboring districts. 

 This flower, which I never saw in the North, 

 is the most beautiful and showy of all the 

 violets, and calls forth rapturous applause 

 from all persons who visit the woods. It 

 grows in little groups and clusters, and bears 

 a close resemblance to the pansies of the 

 gardens. Its two purple, velvety petals 

 seem to fall over tiny shoulders like a rich 

 cape. 



On the same slope, and on no other, I go 

 about the 1st of May for lupine, or sun-dial, 

 which makes the ground look blue from a 

 little distance ; on the other, or northern 

 side of the slope, the arbutus, during the 

 first half of April, perfumes the wild-wood 



