98 WILD FLOWERS OF SCOTLAND 



to this supposition by the undoubted fact 

 that the first thing even a Scotsman does 

 is to cut down everyone he meets, which 

 is rather scurvy treatment of anything so 

 sacred. Certainly, I never met anyone who 

 would not be extremely glad 

 of every thistle in 



Ninety-nine 

 dred in the 

 not botan- 

 deny to so 

 jority the 

 use the patri- 

 until they 

 classes 

 mined to 

 they refer ? 

 point is in 

 Imagine 

 an Irishman 

 the question, Can you point out the special clover 

 known as the shamrock ? Or an Englishman, 

 Which rose do you swear by ? 



Plainly, all this pother has been raised by species- 

 mongers. In the absence of any other, the genuine 

 Scots thistle is the first one comes to. Its claim 



to see the back 

 the land, 

 out of every hun- 

 present day are 

 ists. Must \ve 

 large a ma- 

 right to 

 otic symbol 

 have attended 

 and deter- 

 which species 

 Fiddlesticks ! The 

 the prickle, 

 posing 

 with 



