72 FAMILIAR WILD FLOWERS. 



some parts of England also the stone-crop is called "birds' 

 bread." There would appear to be no special appropriate- 

 ness in the title. So far as we are aware, the plant is un- 

 touched by birds. Prior, in his ' Popular Names of British 

 Plants/' we see, says " apparently from no better reason 

 than its appearance in blossom when young birds are 

 hatched ; " but there is, probably, some old legend or 

 belief that is at the bottom of it, if we only knew where to 

 find it. Lobel called it vermicular is, partly, we are told, 

 from the grub-like shape of the leaves though we may, en 

 passant, observe that a grub is not quite the same thing as 

 a vermis, or worm, either in name, nature, or appearance 

 and partly from its medical efficacy, real or reputed, as a 

 vermifuge. The medicinal value of the stone-crop seems 

 to be only vaguely known. Culpepper, we notice, says of it, 

 "It is so harmless an herb that you can scarce use it amiss ;" 

 while Curtis says, " According to the account which some 

 medical writers give of this plant, it appears to possess 

 considerable virtues ; while others, from the durability of its 

 acrimony and the violence of its operation, have thought it 

 scarce safe to be administered. Applied to the skin, it ex- 

 coriates and exulcerates it." Linnaeus recommended it for 

 the scurvy and dropsy. 



