72 OUTDOOR STUDIES 
primrose, any more than it was our robin who 
tucked up the babes in the wood; our cowslip 
is not the English cowslip, it is the English 
marsh marigold, — Tennyson’s marsh marigold., 
The pretty name of Azalea means something 
definite; but its rural name of Honeysuckle 
confounds under that name flowers without 
even an external resemblance, — Azalea, Dier- 
villa, Lonicera, Aquilegia, —just as every bird 
which sings loud in deep woods is popularly 
denominated a thrush. The really rustic names 
of both plants and animals are very few with 
us, —the different species are many; and as 
we come to know them better and love them 
more, we absolutely require some way to dis- 
tinguish them from their half sisters and second 
cousins. It is hopeless to try to create new 
popular epithets, or even to revive those which 
are thoroughly obsolete. Miss Cooper may 
strive in vain, with benevolent intent, to christen 
her favorite spring blossoms “ May-Wings” 
and “Gay-Wings” and “Fringe-Cup” and 
“ Squirrel-Cup ” and “Cool-Wort” and “ Bead- 
Ruby ;” there is no conceivable reason why 
these should not be the familiar appellations, 
except the irresistible fact that they are not. 
It is impossible to create a popular name: one 
might as well attempt to invent a legend or 
compose a ballad. Mascitur, non fit. 
