40 WILD FLOWERS. 



blossoms of the early sloe, or black-tliorn, 

 (Prunus spinosa.) Its dark brown branclics are 

 thick with the snowy wreath, long before the 

 leaves appear, and, as the spring advances, the 

 leaves take the place of flowers. The white 

 blossoms are very beautiful, and very common in 

 the English coppice. The little harsh fruit, in 

 flavour something like the unripe damson, is 

 relished, perhaps, by none but the school-boy : 

 it is, however, often gathered into jars and 

 bottles, and after lying buried under-ground till 

 winter, makes a very tolerable preserve. The 

 sloe is much used in the adulteration of port 

 wine, and the leaves are said to be sometimes 

 mingled with the tea-leaf, and sold as Chinese 

 tea. An infusion of the flowers, made by 

 pouring boiling water on them, is a common 

 village medicine. 



But leaving the woodland boughs, with their 

 half unfolded beauty, we may pass on to the 

 green lanes where many flowers already grace 

 the hedge-bank. Foremost of these, as most 

 common and conspicuous, are the bright blue 

 flowers of the germander speedwell, {Veronica 

 chamoedrys,) sometimes called eyebright and 

 cat's-eye. Ebenezcr Elhott calls it by the 

 former name. 



" Blue cye'oright! loveliest flo^ver of all that grow- 

 In flower-loved England ! Flower whose hedge-side gaze 

 Is like an infant's ! What heart does not know 

 Thee, cluster'd smiler of the bank, where plays 

 The sunbeam on the emerald snake, and strays 

 The dazzling riil, companion of the road." 



The old English names of this flower, were 



