44 WILD FLOWERS. 



it by the now almost-forgotten names of ale- 

 hoof, tun-hoof, cat's-hoof, hay-maids, and gill- 

 by-the-ground ; and the latter name is still 

 used for it in some counties. Ray mentions 

 several cures wrought by the ground-ivy, and 

 warmly recommends its use. 



One can now hardly walk into the corn-field, 

 without finding the spi-ay of fumitory, {Fu- 

 maria officinalis.^ The flower is of a deep 

 purplish rose-colour, with a small black spot 

 upon it, and a number of these small tubular 

 blossoms growon the upper portion of the stem, 

 forming a spike of flowers about an inch long. 

 The leaves are divided into slender segments, 

 and are so like those of the bright yellow garden 

 escholtzia, that the gardener scarcely distin- 

 guishes the young leaves of the weed from 

 those of the flower. They are of a pale sea- 

 green colour. In summer the neglected corn- 

 field is often quite red with the blossoms of 

 this plant. This plant retains all its properties 

 when dried. It has a very strong saline flavoar, 

 and is particularly wholesome for cattle. It is 

 called in the northern counties earth-smoke. 



The dark red stems and leaves of the herb 

 Robert, or Robert-leaved cranesbill, (^Geranium 

 Robertianuin,) are gay with its pretty pink 

 flowers, which mingle on the hedgebank with 

 the blue germander speedwell. The cranesbills 

 received their name from the Greeks, because 

 the seed-vessel is long and pointed like the 

 bill of a crane. The different species are now 

 becoming numerous ; and a less conspicuous 



