INTRODUCTION. 13 



answer the purpose of distinguishing one man, 

 or band of men, from another. The Scottish 

 clans were generally particularised by the 

 pattern or colours of their tartan plaid. 



But this was found insufficient without the 

 aid of floral emblems, and they therefore 

 adopted the plan of ornamenting their bonnets 

 or helmets with a sprig or branch of a plant as 

 a symbolical badge of their various bodies. 

 This ancient custom was again revived when 

 his majesty visited his northern capital in he 

 year 1822. His loyal Scottish subjects on 

 that joyful event, paid their respects to their 

 sovereign, at the palace of Holyrood House, 

 each wearing the heraldic emblem of his 

 clan. And as it may be interesting to their 

 southern friends to know these symbols of the 

 Scotch families, we have added a list of such 

 as appeared at the royal court at Edinburgh 

 on this occasion, to which we add the Gau- 

 lic and Scottish names of the plants, as well 

 as that of the English and generic definitions. 



