42 WILD FLOWEES OP SPEINO. 



Day ? for the flowers of wood and field were specially 

 dedicated to the saints. When with the first- warm 

 rays of a February sun the firstlings of the year awake 

 from their winter's sleep, and venture forth to show 

 the returning animation of the hardy vegetable world, 

 even though there is a hard fringe of snow yet linger- 

 ing on the skirts of winter's mantle, they whisper 

 forth spring is at hand ; for " Lo, the winter is past ; 

 the rain is over and gone ; the flowers appear upon 

 the earth ; the time of the singing of birds is come, 

 and the voice of the turtle is heard in our laud." 



Ere the fetters of winter are quite gone, the russet 

 drops begin to appear as a pendant fringe on the thin 

 slender bough of the Hazel (Corylus avellana) 



" And hazel catkins, and the bursting buda 

 Of the fresh willow, whisper spring is coming," 



and many a rustic belle uses them as ear-drops, whilst 

 she gathers the pussy-cats of the Palm Willow 

 (Salix caprea). Whilst the bullfinch is seeking its 

 mate, the " flower of faithful love," the " day's eye " 

 of the poets, with its "golden bosom fringed with 

 snow," may be found peeping up in the hedgerows 

 ere the snow has left the northern nooks of the cop- 



