MAY FLOWERS. 47 
The sweet vernal-grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum, 
L.) was the first of the grasses that I succeeded in 
making out. It was pleasant, therefore, to read in the 
“Life and Letters of Charles Darwin,” by his son 
Francis, a letter written to Sir J. D. Hooker. It is dated 
June 5,1855. Darwin was then forty-six years old, had 
published his ‘Journal of Researches’’ made during 
the voyage of the Beagle, and was meditating on ‘The 
Origin of Species.” The letter closes as follows: “I 
have just made out my first grass, hurrah! hurrah! 
J must confess that fortune favors the bold, for, as good 
luck would have it, it was the easy Axthoranthum odor- 
atum, nevertheless it is a great discovery; I never ex- 
pected to make out a grass in all my life, so hurrah! 
It has done my stomach surprising good.” 
In our neighborhood we may find several other 
flowers which have some interest from their connection 
with great names in the science of botany. While he 
-was still a student at Fairfield Academy Asa Gray’s 
passion for plants was aroused by reading the article 
on botany in the Edinburgh Encyclopedia. He at 
once bought a copy of ‘‘Eaton’s Botany” and longed 
for spring. As the season opened, “he sallied forth 
early, discovered a plant in bloom, brought it home 
and found its name to be Claytonta Virginica, L., the 
species Claytonia Caroliniana, Michx., to which the 
plant really belonged, not being distinguished then.” 
