278 THE STORY-BOOK OF SCIENCE 



e*rs, rod on the outside and spotted on the inside with 

 white and purple, are arranged in a long and mag- 

 nificent cluster almost as high as a 

 man, is called digitalis. The flow- 

 ers have the form of long, tun- 

 bellied bells, or rather of glove- 

 fingers; therefore it is called by 

 different names, all referring to 

 this peculiarity. " 



"If I am not mistaken," said 

 Jean,^"it is what we call fox-glove. 

 It is common on the edges of 

 woods." 



"We call it fox-glove on account 

 of its resemblance to the thumb of 

 a glove. For the same reason it has elsewhere the 

 name of gloves of Notre-Dame, gloves of the Virgin, 

 and finger-stall. The name digitalis, borrowed 

 from the Latin, also refers to the finger-shaped 

 flower." 



"It is a great pity that fine plant is poisonous," 

 commented Simon; "it would be a pleasure to see it 

 in our gardens." 



"It is, indeed, cultivated as an ornamental plant, 

 but in gardens under stricter vigilance than ours. 

 As for us, my friends, who hardly have time to 

 watch over flowers, we shall do well not to put digi- 

 talis within reach of children by introducing it in 

 our gardens. The whole plant is poisonous. It has 

 the singular property of slowing up the beating of 

 the heart and finally stopping it. It is unnecessary 



