56 Introductory View of the 
yet the fact is, that the particular species honoured, as more 
peculiarly the descendant of the beautiful youth, with the 
title of Poetic Narcissus (N. poéticus), blooms in the open 
fields, in elevated situations and a sandy soil. The poets 
tell us also that Narcissus was changed into a yellow flower ; 
yet this has white petals. ‘The cup which it fills with tears is 
yellow, with a border of white divided from the yellow by : 
circle of deep crimson. Are we to believe that ‘the flower, 
aware of the fate of its ancestor, has learned to shun the 
watery mirror that proved so fatal to him, and in conse- 
uence has lost its jaundiced hue? or are we to suppose that 
the Poetic Narcissus usurps a title more justly due to that spe- 
cies called 
—____ “ Daffodils, 
That come before the swallow dares, 
And take the winds of March with beauty.” 
Certain it is, that the daffodil is furnished with a spacious 
lachrymatory. The reader is, doubtless, acquainted with 
the wild daffodils found in moist woods, or thickets, in the 
month of March, and will remember the large cup in the cen- 
tre, which is crimped like a lady’s frill: the young student 
may be puzzled to know what name to give to this cup. It 
is not the corolla; that is formed of six petals, affixed to the 
cup. Let him open the flower, and he will find that the base 
of the cup is, more or less, elongated into a tube; within 
which is collected the onicd treasure that awaits the bee. 
This part is termed the nectary, a name given by Linneeus to 
the part containing the collected honey, sieveE be its form ; 
and, in variety, it vies with the corolla oct In many flower S, 
the corolla per forms the office of the nectary; in others it is 
distinct, as in that of which Iam now speaking; and when. 
ever the young student meets with any part of a flower, that 
he is puzzled to find a name for, he will do well to consider 
if it may not be the nectary. In many cases, he will be apt to 
overlook it altogether, unless it be pointed out to him. 
The fritillary, Fritilaria (/r7tellus, a chess-board), is a hand- 
some, but rare plant, bearing a flower about the size of an 
ege-cup, broad at its base, and pendulous; the colour a red 
purple, checkered with paler purple or white; whence it has 
been called the chess-board flower, éheekerea daffodil, &c. 
If the student inspect this flower narrowly, he will perceive 
within each petal, near the base, a little black line, which he 
will discover to be a cavity secreting honey ; and will imme- 
diately decide upon its name and office. Hence he will 
learn that flowers have sometimes several nectaries; this has 
