66 FIRST STEPS IN GENERAL KNOWLEDGE. 



ber the pale purple crocuses that came up without 

 leaves in September r" 



" Yes, papa/' said Eobert, " I had two or three 

 in my garden, and now there are leaves coming 

 up without blossoms. How odd it is that the 

 leaves and the flowers are so far apart !" 



" This will help you to distinguish it from the 

 spring crocus, and also from the useful Saffron 

 Crocus, which belong to another family. This 

 autumn crocus,* or meadow saffron, which we 

 are glad to see when other flowers are gone, 

 is yet a dangerous plant ; and there are well- 

 known cases of poisoning from chewing the bulb 

 or the young shoots." 



" Would any one except a baby be so foolish as 

 to chew it ?" inquired Henry. 



" Some time ago a poor woman picked up a few 

 of these crocus roots in Covent-garden market, 

 and fancied they were onions. One would have 

 thought that she must have missed the powerful 

 odour of the onion, and so have discovered her 

 mistake, but unfortunately she did not ; but ate 

 them, and was poisoned. Another plant of this 



* Colchicum autumnalc. 



