148 FAMILIAR WILD PLOTTERS. 



early summer, so the specific title of the present plant 

 indicates the early period of the year when its graceful 

 little blossoms peer above the snow-covered ground, as pale 

 and pure themselves as the soft mantle that covers all but 

 the tips of their leaves and pendant flowers, nivalis being 

 a Latin adjective that signifies relating to or resembling 

 snow. The generic name is Greek in its origin, and 

 signifies milk-flower. 



From its early appearance and delicacy, the snowdrop 

 has attracted the notice of several of our poets. Of these 

 we can now only mention Dray ton, Langhorne, Shelley, 

 Thomson, and Wordsworth, leaving our readers to look up 

 the allusions for themselves. 



As the snowflake and the snowdrop would never, 

 under any circumstances, we imagine, be found in flower 

 together, our plate is so far inaccurate ; but as the two 

 plants were so closely related botanically, so similar, too, 

 both in appearance and in name, it seemed, on the whole, 

 advisable to represent them on the same plate, trusting 

 to the descriptive text to clear up any misconception that 

 might otherwise possibly arise. 



