CHAPTEK XIV 



Yellow flowers Family likeness in flavours and scents Mimulus 

 luteus Flowers in church decoration Effect of association 

 Mimulus luteus as a British plant A rule as to naturalised 

 plants wanted A visit to Swarraton Changes since Gilbert 

 White's day "Wild musk" Bird life on the downs Turtle- 

 dove nestlings Blue skin in doves A boy naturalist Birds 

 at the cottage The wren's sun-bath Wild fruits ripen An 

 old chalk pit Birds and elderberries Past and present times 

 compared Calm days Migration of swallows Conclusion. 



THE oak in the field and a flowering plant by the 

 water were the two best things plant life contained 

 for me during those beautiful late summer days by 

 the Itchen. About the waterside flower I must write 

 at some length. 



Of our wild flowers the yellow in colour, as a rule, 

 attract me least; not because the colour is not beau- 

 tiful to me, but probably on account of the numerous 

 ungraceful, weedy -looking plants of unpleasant scent 

 which in late summer produce yellow flowers tansy, 

 fleabane, ragwort, sow-thistle, and some of other orders, 

 the worst of the lot being the pepper saxifrage, an 

 ungainly parsley in appearance, with evil - smelling 

 flowers. You know them by their odours. If I were 

 to smell at a number of strong-scented flowers un- 

 known to me in a dark room, or blindfolded, I should 

 be able to pick out the yellow ones. They would have 



