458 OUTDOOR LIFE IN ENGLAND 



the wild thyme ; Horace thus makes mention 

 of it : 



' Impune tutum per nemus arbutos 

 Quaerunt latentes et thyma deviae 

 Olentis uxores mariti.' 



Its praises have been sung by well-nigh every 

 poet, not so much, perhaps, from any particular 

 admiration for its modest purple blossoms, as 

 from the sweet fragrance of its leaves. And 

 thyme was held in high repute for various ills, 

 being supposed to be especially valuable as a 

 remedy for lung diseases, headache, etc., and doubt- 

 less not without, reason, since a certain amount of 

 camphor is said to be contained in the plant. 



The yellow toad-flax is a common object 

 during the later summer months, its yellow 

 flowers adorning the tops of the field-banks. 

 The name of toad-flax has been, apparently, 

 derived from the fact of the plant, not the flower, 

 being somewhat similar to the flax plant. The 

 prefix of toad probably owes its origin to the 

 curious shape of the flower, which is similar to 

 that of the snapdragon, or, as it is otherwise 

 called, the toad's-mouth ; indeed, the toad-flax is 

 locally termed the wild snapdragon. 



The common or great wild valerian grows 

 abundantly by the riverside and in moist places 

 throughout the country, intermingled with the 

 sedges, willow-herb, and dropwort. The flowers, 

 though graceful and delicate in their colouring, 

 emit a faint, unpleasant scent. 



