THE PERIWINKLE. 319 



The periwinkle is a plant very extensively dis- 

 tributed over the world, and was found by Monro 

 to ascend almost to the snow-line upon Mount Le- 

 banon. Great Britain has one periwinkle of upright 

 growth, namely, the V. major, which abounds in 

 our hedgerows, whose stems though weak and re- 

 quiring support, can scarcely be called trailing ; the 

 other (the V. minor}, of which I have given an 

 engraving, may possibly be indigenous, though more 

 probably it is introduced from abroad. 



The Germans say, that if garlands of the sinn- 

 gr'tin be gathered on the eve of St. Matthew, thrown 

 on a flowing stream, and picked up by a maiden 

 who has previously danced in silence about the 

 water, it will ensure to her a " bridal wreath." 



