HOUND'S-TONGUE. 205 



The last family in the Borage tribe is the Hound's-tongue. 

 I have found the common Hound's-tongue (Cynoglossum offici- 

 nale), on the road between the town of Richmond and the 

 racecourse. It is a downy plant, with a smell like mice, and 

 dark crimson drooping flowers. The leaves are broadly lanceo- 

 late, and the stamens are shorter than the corolla. It grows 

 to the height of a foot and a half. It is abundant in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Bishopton, in Durham; and I see Fanny has 

 specimens from Looe. This tribe has little except beauty and 

 harmlessness to recommend it. One of the Alkanets is used 

 for a dye, and the root of a species of Gromwell is applied to 

 the same purpose. All the members have insipid juice, and 

 are more or less hairy. 



