68 THE COLOURS OF FLOWERS 



Among weeds of cultivation which, though now they 

 abound, cannot have been conspicuous in the primitive 

 British landscapes, may be mentioned dandelions, wild 

 mustard or charlock (a native of Southern Europe), and 

 buttercups, which now gild our meadows, but had not 

 much innings before the meadows were reclaimed from 

 waste. All these have yellow flowers ; so have prim- 

 roses and cowslips, with many others that might be 

 named. If the survey is extended to include trees and 

 shrubs, gorse and broom are lavish of their gold, and 

 hedges are sheeted late in spring with drifts of snowy 

 May. 1 But it would take more than these to convince 

 me that white and yellow prevail over other colours in 

 our native spring flowers. Have we not the intense 

 magenta of the early orchis (Orchis mascula), the 

 matchless blue of the vernal gentian, purple Pasque 

 flowers on the chalk downs, the paler periwinkle, and 

 the azure speedwell ? 



' Violets dim, 



But sweeter than the lids of Juno's eyes, 

 Or Cytherea's breath ? ' 



And does not the wild hyacinth still spread mists of 

 blue over hundreds of acres in almost every country ? 

 while certain meadows in the Midlands teem with 

 sober-suited fritillaries ? 



But it is evident, I think, that in making his inquiry 



1 Driving through Long Island on a May morning in company with 

 the late Joseph Choate to lunch with the late Theodore Roosevelt of 

 Sagamore Hill, I remarked on the beauty of the blossom of Cornus 

 Florida, which forms the chief undergrowth of the woods. 'Yes,' 

 replied Choate, ' it is very fine ; but, to my mind, it cannot compare 

 with your English hawthorn bloom.' 



