STEAWBEBBY BLACKBEEEY. 99 



to convey to their minds the intense pleasure which a new 

 specimen afforded me, nor to justify my habit of examining 

 every pond that came in my way, 



We now come to the Strawberry family, and here are the 

 only two British species. 



The Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca, Plate VIL, fig. 4), 

 needs no description ; its fruit and flower are familiar to us 

 all from childhood. They are found in every country, and 

 nourish on crumbling rocks and venerable ruins, as well as 

 under sheltering hedgerows, or in sunny groves. 



The Hautbois Strawberry (F. elatior), grows in the woods 

 near Clevedon and in Herefordshire ; Fanny found it at the 

 beginning of June. She was attracted by its large size, and 

 the spreading hairs on its stalks proved it to be the species in 

 question. Some children who came to stay with her later in 

 the season went to her in great glee, to show what large wild 

 Strawberries they had found in the woods. She says that one 

 flower in the cluster she gathered had no pistils. This vari- 

 ability in the bloom is a distinctive mark of the species. 



The Brambles, which are at once the grief and joy of 

 children, are the next family in the Strawberry group. 

 The rose-shaped flower has crumpled petals, and thick pow- 

 dery-looking sepals. The fruit is a collection of seeds covered 

 with juicy flesh; these are called drupes. The leaves are 

 formed of either three or five leaflets. The Latin name is from 

 Euber, red. 



The common Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus), called by 

 Yorkshire country people "Bumble Kite," is abundant every- 

 where. 



" Thy fruit full well the school-boy knows, 



Wild Bramble of the brake ; 

 So put thou forth thy small white rose, 



I love it for thy sake. 

 How delicate thy gauzy frill, 



Hoar rich thy branching stem! 

 How soft thy voice when woods are still, 



And thou sing'st songs to them. 



