78 



they open and shut at a certain time thus the waiting time 

 of our present little beauty, or the time of the flowers being 

 expanded, is from about nine in the morning till three in the 

 afternoon. 



" Among the loose and arid sands, 



The humble Arenaria creeps, 



Slowly the purple star expands, 



But soon within its calyx sleeps." A. Strickland. 



O. S. Sea side Sandwort, Three-nerved Sandwort, neither of them 

 very rare; Fringed Sand wort, found in Ireland; Norwegian Sandwort, 

 found lately in the Shetland Isles by a child, eleven years old, who is 

 already a good botanist; Vernal Sandwort. Alpine Sandwort, Level- 

 topped Sandwort, all rare Scottish plants; Fine-leaved Sandwort, and 

 Marine Sandwort, the last so much like the Red Sandwort above described 

 that it is very difficult to tell them from each other. 



COCKLE. AGROSTEMMA. 

 CORN COCKLE. Agrostemma githago. 



Plate 5, fig. 20. 



Common in corn fields, two feet high, flowering in June. 

 Petals large, of a reddish purple, whitish towards the centre, 

 and streaked with a darker color, inclosed in a one-leaved 

 ribbed calyx, with five very long points. Leaves long, lance- 

 shaped, in pairs, growing together at the base. The plant 

 grows upright, is branched, and hairy all over. Seeds large, 

 numerous, and black. The Latin name, Agrostemma, means 

 the Crown of the Field, from the beauty of the flowers. 



CATCHFLY. LYCHNIS. 

 RAGGED ROBIN. Lychnis fios-cuculi. 



Plate 6, fig. 1. 

 Petals four-cleft. Flowers in a loose head. 



A beautiful plant to be found in damp meadows, boggy 

 grounds, and little rills of water. It flowers in June and 

 July, and is well distinguished by its name of Ragged Robin, 

 for the petals are deeply cut, each into four or six narrow 

 strips, which give the flowers a tattered appearance they are 

 of a fine red color, and so is also the upper part of the stem 

 and the calyces. The stamens are purple. The leaves, in 

 pairs, light green, lance-shaped, and smooth. The stem 



