AURICULA. 47 



such a height that the flowers may be above the foliage 

 of the plant. The foot-stalks should also be strong, and 

 proportioned in length to the size and number of the 

 flowers, which should not be less than seven. The tube, 

 eye, and border should be well-proportioned ; that is, the 

 diameter of the tube one-sixth, and that of the eye (in- 

 cluding the tube) one-half the diameter of the whole 

 flower. The circumference of the border should be a 

 perfect circle ; the anthers should be large, and fill the 

 tube; and the tube should terminate rather above the 

 eye, which should be very white, smooth, round, and 

 distinct from the ground-colour. The ground-colour should 

 be bold, rich, and regular, whether in a circle, or in bright 

 patches : it should be distinct at the eye, and only broken 

 at the outer part into the edging. The dark grounds are 

 usually covered with a white powder, which seems necessary 

 to guard the flower from the scorching heat of the sun. 



The poet, in the following lines, represents the splendid 

 peacock as jealous of the Auricula ; of the beauty of her 

 eye, doubtless, which he is fearful will eclipse the brilliancy 

 of all his : 



" See how the peacock stalks yon beds beside, 

 Where rayed in sparkling dust, and velvet pride, 

 Like brilliant stars arranged in splendid row, 

 The proud auriculas their lustre show : 

 The jealous bird now shows his swelling breast, 

 His many-coloured neck, and lofty crest ; 

 Then all at once his dazzling tail displays, 

 On whose broad circles thousand rainbows blaze." 



KLEIST'S SPRING. 



Perhaps there' is no flower more tenderly cherished by 

 the cultivators than the Auricula : they wait upon and watch 

 over it like a mother over her infant. 



Auriculas, enrich'd 



With shining meal o'er all their velvet leaves." 



THOMSON. 



