338 THE SPRING FLOWERS. CHAP. xx. 



to the fields, or led him along the sea-shore. He watched 

 nature with the eye of a lover. He longed for the coming 

 of spring ; and when she came he was unspeakably glad. 

 He looked anxiously for every favourite plant, and knew 

 it at once as it put its first stem above the ground. 



The spring was later in 1863. At the end of April 

 the fertile stems of the common Field Horsetail were not 

 yet above ground. He had seen only one rumpled 

 straggler. Neither Drummond's Horsetail, nor the Wood 

 Horsetail, had made their appearance. It was not until 

 about the middle of May that he found them above 

 ground, excepting Drummond's Horsetail, which was 

 always late. 



" I went out last Sabbath morning," he said, " up the 

 river-side, and found the common Field Horsetail and 

 Wood Horsetail. The Water Horsetail was by the river- 

 side. The prevailing flowers are dog-violets and yellow 

 primroses. I found about six specimens of a rare plant 

 peculiar to the north. It is Ajuga pyramidalis a plant 

 I have sent alive, as well as dried, to the south. It is 

 a great prize with botanists. Of course, I look on them 

 now with very different feelings from what I once did. 

 I found also the early Purple Orchis by sixes and sevens. 

 Also a species of chickweed which I never saw before. 

 It is a larger and showy species. No other flowers have 

 come up as yet. But they will come. And when they 

 come, short will be their stay, and all will be again 

 desolate." 



A few days later, he again goes up the river-side, and 

 found and plucked numerous specimens of the far-famed 



