The Garden of British Wild Flowers. 199 



a variety of the same plant called coccinea ; and 

 there is also a white variety, as there is of Erica 

 Tetralix, to which is also closely related the Irish 

 E. Mackaiana, a plant named after Dr. Mackay of 

 Dublin, who found so many of the plants in Ireland 

 that connect its flora with that of south-western 

 Europe. Next we have a ciliated Heath (E. 

 ciliaris), a very handsome species, with flowers as 

 large as those of St. Daboec's heath, and the Irish 

 heath (E. hibernica), one of the most valuable of 

 all hardy plants, in consequence of its blushing into 

 masses of rosy red in our gardens in early spring. 

 It is found in some of the western counties of Ire- 

 land, and of course after it had been discovered in 

 other European countries. This forms a neat, 

 low- lying bush ; grows on almost any soil, and is 

 one of the most valuable of dwarf shrubs ; ad- 

 mirable for making an edging round a bed of 

 choice shrubs or anything else, for the rockwork or 

 for the mixed border. Finally, we have among 

 these interesting things the Cornish Heath (E. 

 vagans), arid from what has been said of the family 

 it will be perceived that a very interesting bed or 

 group might be made from these alone. Indeed, 

 they would be most desirable to introduce wherever 

 the soil is peaty or not over arid, and might be 



