43 



Almost every fair one's album has a drawing of it, and almost 

 every poetical young lady has written a whole poem in its 

 praise : 



" E'en sister flowers envy the favored lot, 

 Of that blue-eyed darling, ' Forget-me-not.' " 



Everybody gathers it on the edges of the ponds and rivers, 

 and everybody loves its brilliant blue flowers, which have white 

 centres and yellow scales, that partly shut up the mouth of the 

 flower. Its name, too, and the curious anecdote which gave it 

 this name, adds a double interest and a double beauty to this 

 little fairy of the water. The story is this : A young lady, 

 who was walking with her lover on the banks of the Danube, 

 saw a bunch of this plant growing in the stream, and admiring- 

 its particular beauty she desired him to procure some for her ; 

 he reached the wished-for flowers from the bank, but in doing 

 so lost his hold, and fell into the water. He struggled long, 

 but was unable to stem the rapid current ; making, however, 

 one last effort before he sank for ever, he threw the flower to 

 his lady love, and exclaimed, " Forget-me-not." Since this 

 time the plant has been the emblem of memory, not only in 

 Germany, but over almost all Europe. 



" Sweet azure flower, with golden eye, 

 That on the meadow banks doth lie ; 

 Or, by the quiet streamlet fed, 

 On pillowing moss doth rest thy head ; 

 Who by thy gems unmarked can pass ? 

 Bright gleaming through the dewy grass." S. Waring. 



FIELD SCORPION GRASS. Myosotis arvensis. 



Plate 2, fig. 15. 



Calyx when in fruit closed. Limb, of cor. hollow, equal to tube. 

 A hairy plant, common on cultivated ground, hedge banks, 

 &c., growing four or five inches high, with very small, light 

 blue, beautiful and delicate flowers, with yellow eyes ; on foot- 

 stalks longer than the calyx. The hairs of the calyx are spread 

 out and hooked. The spike of flowers, as in all the species, is 

 turned round at the top, growing upright, and the flowers 

 expanding by degrees. 



O. S. Rock Scorpion Grass, very beautiful but rare ; found only on the 

 highest of the Scotch mountains. Early Field Scorpion Grass, with very 



