THE REST-HARROW. 11 



botanists have established a second species, but there 

 seems but little justification for doing so, as the differences,, 

 even in their extreme form are but slight after all, and 

 intermediate forms between the extremes that have been 

 taken as specific forms are not at all uncommonly found- 

 A true second species is the small rest-harrow, the Ononis 

 recllnata ; it is, however, an exceedingly rare species here, 

 though very common in many parts of Europe, and need 

 not therefore claim more than this passing remark. 



The flowers of the rest-harrow rise singly from the axils 

 of the leaves, a somewhat peculiar feature, as in most 

 of the pea-flowers they are grouped together either into 

 globular heads, as in the clover, or arranged in long 

 racemes as in the wood- vetch. The stamens are monad el - 

 phous; that is to say, they form one united brotherhood. 

 The leaves are either simple, or, more ordinai'ily, composed 

 of three leaflets, two laterals and a terminal member, as in 

 the leaf of the common white clover. The pod is very small, 

 and hardly protrudes beyond the enclosing calyx. 



The rest-harrow derives its generic name from the Greek 

 word for an ass, because it is said that the plant is eaten 

 by that animal. The idea is very far-fetched, for even 

 assuming the fact to be so, there are many other plants 

 which, from their greater abundance and known attractive- 

 ness to the asinine palate, have a far greater claim to the 

 name. We, however, go so far as to dispute the fact in toto, 

 for, as our home circle includes one of those useful and much- 

 abused quadrupeds, we several times attempted to get the 

 plant tasted, but though proffered time after time with 

 every blandishment, it was merely sniffed at and declined. 

 It owes its common English name to its toughness, from 

 a belief that when, during the preparation of the field, the 



