THE AUTUMN CROCUS 139 



the meadow will have to be deep-dug all over ; 

 and such radical measure as this the peasants 

 as a rule refuse to take, contenting themselves 

 with pulling up the leaf and stalk before the fields 

 are cut, or with sorting them out from the new- 

 mown hay. 



As a plant indigenous to the British Isles it 

 is very local, though widely distributed. Saffron 

 Walden, in Essex, is named after it, and it is 

 found in Ireland and in some parts of Scotland, 

 especially upon the damp meadows of limestone 

 districts. 



The name Colchicum, of Greek origin, is said 

 to be derived from Colchis, a province in Asia 

 famous for poisonous herbs. In England, besides 

 the names of Autumn Crocus and Meadow 

 Saffron {Ci^ocus sativus is really the true Saffron 

 Crocus), its flower is known in some parts of 

 the country as Naked Boy, and in Dorset as 

 Naked Lucy, an allusion, of course, to it being 

 bare of leaves. In France its popular names are 

 seemingly more various, and besides the general 

 one of ColcJiique, it has those of Veilleuse, Veil- 

 lotte, Violon, Vache, and Tue-chien ; while in the 

 patois of Marseilles it is known as Bramo-Vaco, 

 and in that of Gascony as Safra des prats. In 



