THE FIELD-KOSE. 



Rosa arvensis. Nat. Ord., Itosacete. 

 UR wild roses present a somewhat 

 difficult field of study to one who is 

 commencing to observe wild flowers, 

 since even professed botanists differ very 

 much in opinion as to the number of 

 species that may fairly be considered 

 indigenous to Britain. One authority 

 reduces all the varying forms to five 

 specific types, while another, seeing 

 specific differences in what appear to the 

 first mere variations more or less perma- 

 nent, amplifies the list to such an extent 

 that some nineteen or twenty species are 

 included in it. All authorities are, how- 

 ever, agreed in recognising as legitimate 

 species the common dog-rose, elsewhere figured 

 amongst our illustrations, and the field-rose, or 

 trailing dog-rose, the subject of our present plate. 

 The field-rose is the Rosa arvensis of the botanist. 

 The generic name, Rosa, will be found explained in our 

 remarks on the common dog-rose, while the specific title, 

 arvensis, signifies that which pertains to the fields, being 

 derived from the Latin word arvum, a corn-field ; we meet 

 with the word again in the Anagallis arvensis, or pim- 

 pernel, the Ranunculus arcetmis, or corn-crowfoot, and many 

 other plants. 



