IRRITANT POISONS 61 



GALANTHUS NIVALIS (British). 109. 



COMMON SNOWDROP — CANDLEMAS BELLS — BULBOUS VIOLET 



FAIR MAIDS OF FEBRUARY — PURIFICATION FLOWER. 



Amaryllidacece. — Flowers solitary, pendant. — Meadows and 

 thickets; 4-8 ins.; perennial. — February and March; white, 

 inner segments tipped with green. 



Toxic Principle .— NARCISSINE. 



The frail snowdrop 



Born of the breath of Winter. 



Barry Cornwall. 



HYACINTHUS NONSCRDPTUS. 

 AGRAPHIS NUTANS (British). 110. 



BLUE BELLS OF ENGLAND — WILD HYACINTH — BLUE BOTTLE — 

 CRAKE FEET — CROW BELLS — CROW LEEK — CULVERKEYS 

 — COMMON BLUE BELL — DOG's LEEK — HAIR BELL — -HARE 

 BELL. 



Liliacece. — Flowers in drooping racemes. — Leaves linear, 

 flaccid. — Woods and thickets; abundant; 6-10 ins.; peren- 

 nial. — May and June ; blue, sometimes pink. — Bitter flavour. 



Toxic Principle.— ACRID JUICE. 



. . . faint half-whisperings 

 Steal from the bluebeirs nodding carillons 

 Each breezy morn. 



Wilde: " Humanitad.'' 



HYACINTHUS ORIENTALIS (Cultivated in Britain). 



ORIENTAL HYACINTH — (CZAR PETER — ANNA MARIA). 



Liliacece. — Flowers in crowded racemes. — Leaves linear. — 

 6 ins.-l ft.; perennial; March and April; blue, white, yellow, 

 crimson, pink. — Bitter flavour. 



Toxic Principle. — ^ACRID JUICE, also contained in H. 

 romanus. 



The bee sucked in by the hyacinth. 



Browning: " Woman and Eoses.^' 



