Mr. Hardy's Botanical Notices. 159 



Hazel-blade ; and no doubt we ought to look for it especially 

 in old hazel copses ; in those " JSylvis humosis, nemorosis, 

 quietis, densis et intactis," painted by the master. 



8.— (Enanthe crocata, L. 

 In Sir Walter Elliot's Presidential Address, it is left doubt- 

 ful whether, or not, sheep eat of this suspicious plant. I 

 may mention that sheep on the sea-banks do crop the leaves 

 in spring and autumn ; but they do not keep it down, which is 

 conclusive that they do not relish it. According to the experi- 

 ments in the "Amcenitates Academicae," ii., p. 244, (Amster- 

 dam, 1752), sheep eat it, while cattle and horses reject it. 



4.— Scandix Pecten- Veneris, L. 

 No where are there more local names for this weed, than in 

 Berwickshire. Among others of my gatherings contributed 

 to Dr. Johnston's Flora, it is signified that the local name is 

 " Witches needle ;" and moreover that " some of our country 

 women call the long-beaked fruit, the * Deil's Darning 

 Needle,' and others * Adam's needle,' from their unlearned 

 conjecture that therewith our first parents stitched the 

 primitive robe." I have recently heard it called " Elshins," 

 i.e. awls ; and the " Deil's elshin." It impairs the quality of 

 the grain with which it is mixed, from the difficulty of 

 separating the husks from it. 



5.— Digitalis purpurea,"!. 

 A smooth green gall about the size of a vetch made its 

 appearance, hereabouts, this season, on the mid-rib of the 

 fox-glove, of which there is nothing on record. I could see 

 no inmate, but its structure and appearance lead me to think 

 that it is a blister raised by mites. 



6.— Teucrium Scorodonia, L. 

 Mr. Wightman gave me a remarkable monstrous state of 

 this plant in blossom, which he and Mr. Middlemas had got 

 among the rocks below where the Common and Broadstruther 

 burns unite. This is a conversion of the exterior floral parts 

 into small pale green ciliated leaves ; the tubular calvx, as 

 well as the p3uched corolla, being decomposed into their 

 components, excepting here and there a welding in some at 

 the base ; showing that flowers are but modifications of a 

 whorl of leaves. The stamens and pistils are either abortive, 

 or they have undergone duplication. The spikes are either 

 close and cylindrical, or clustered into a dense ovate mass. 



