BY BANK AND COPSE. 19 



whitlow, to which the plant was applied with milk. For 

 this reason it was also sometimes called " nail-wort," nearly 

 all our plants which have popular names ending in " wort " 

 being old herbalist's remedies. The little plant varies very 

 much, in the shape of its satiny pods and in other minor 

 points ; so that a French botanist has actually described no 

 less than seventy forms, which he finds remain distinct when 

 cultivated. 



Growing with this tiny fairy-like plant on the wall, or 

 spreading perhaps with it to the adjoining bank, we may 

 find, though not yet in flower, another curious little annual, 

 the three-fingered saxifrage, a reddish plant, but a few 

 inches high, with three-fingered leaves, sticky, as is the 

 whole plant, with minute red-knobbed hairs, adhering to 

 which we may even already discover some unfortunate 

 small insects. 



A suggestion of green is now seen all along the hedge- 

 rows. Both quick-set and blackthorn are still bare; but 

 here and there the stout, brown, warty shoots of the elder 

 are putting out tufts of leaves : the wild briars are already 

 well clothed with their delicate and vivid foliage ; and in 

 places we may perhaps see one of the guelder-roses un- 

 folding its pleated leaves. A gust of the keen spring air 

 is driving before it the bright white clouds : the sun bursts 

 out momentarily with unwonted power, and we see flying 

 gaily before us, with its characteristic zigzag flight, a brilliant 

 vision of life, of resurrection. It settles for a moment on 

 the bank, and as it closes its sulphur wings it reveals the 

 beautiful curves of their angular outlines. It is the Brim- 

 stone butterfly ; but, though its caterpillar fed on some 

 buckthorn bush not far from here, this lovely insect left its 

 green chrysalis late last autumn, and after flying about for 



