136 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 



Ophrys nidus avis, birds' nest ophrys, in the Long Lith 

 under the shady beeches among the dead leaves ; in Great 

 Dorton among the bushes, and on the Hanger plentifully. 



Serapias latifolia, helleborine, in the High-wood under 

 the shady beeches. 



Daphne laureola, spurge laurel, in Selborne- Hanger and 

 the High-wood. 



Daphne mezereum, the mezereon, in Selborne-Hanger 

 among the shrubs, at the south - east end above the 

 cottages. 



Lycoperdon tuber, truffles, in the Hanger and High-wood. 



Sambucus ebulus, dwarf elder, walwort, or danewort, 

 among the rubbish and ruined foundations of the Priory 1 



Of all the propensities of plants, none seem more strange 

 than their different periods of blossoming. Some produce 

 their flowers in the winter, or very first dawnings of spring ; 

 many when the spring is established ; some at midsummer, 

 and some not till autumn. When we see the helleborus 

 fcetidus and helleborus niger blowing at Christmas, the helle- 

 borus hyemalis in January, and the helleborus viridis as soon 

 as ever it emerges out of the ground, we do not wonder, 

 because they are kindred plants that we expect should 

 keep pace the one with the other ; but other congenerous 

 vegetables differ so widely in their time of flowering, that 

 we cannot but admire. I shall only instance at present 

 in the crocus sativus, the vernal and the autumnal crocus, 

 which have such an affinity, that the best botanists only 

 make them varieties of the same genus, of which there 

 is only one species, not being able to discern any difference 

 in the corolla, or in the internal structure. Yet the vernal 

 crocus expands its flowers by the beginning of March at 

 farthest, and often in very rigorous weather ; and cannot 

 be retarded but by some violence offered ; while the 

 autumnal (the Saffron) defies the influence of the spring 



1 The foregoing was all that Gilbert White printed oft his letter, but as Professor 

 Bell writes, " the remainder of this letter does not appear in the first edition, 

 but was added by his brother from the MS. of Gilbert on the publication of the 

 second edition in 2 vols. 8vo in 1802." [R. B. S.] 



