MAESH-THISTLE. 



CHICKS palmtris. Nut. Onl., 

 Compositcc. 



fN our series we have already 

 figured several species of 

 thistle, the lordly spear- 

 plume, the f rag-rant musk- 

 thistle, the curious and 

 beautiful milk-thistle, and 

 others, and even in our 

 present volume will be 

 found another in addition 

 to the present plant. All 

 are common plants, and as 

 such claim a place, as of 

 right, in our series. Cul- 

 peper, we see, begins and 

 ends his description of the 

 British thistles as follows : 

 "Of these there are many 

 kind growing" here in Eng- 

 land, which are so well known that they need no descrip- 

 tion/' There are certain manifest advantages to the 

 author in this way of treating- the subject, but to any one 

 in search of information the treatment appears a little bold. 

 Of the ash-tree, for example, he writes : " This is so well 

 known that time will be mis-spent in writing a description 

 95 



