54 NATURE IN DOWNLAND 



is the bird-foot trefoil. The wee fairy yellow trefoil 

 is common too ; and clo-vers red and clovers white ; 

 and the kidney vetch, with curious embossed or 

 jewelled flower-heads. Creeping rock-rose with soft, 

 silky petals, and clustered bell-flower, deep blue, look- 

 ing like Canterbury bells picked from their stalk and 

 scattered about on the grass. Crane's-bill and musky 

 stork's-bill — mere specks of red ; little round-leafed 

 mint, a faint misty purple; and the scented plantain, 

 its leaves like leaves cut out of green cloth, pressed 

 flat and sewn upon the green fabric. Rest-harrow, 

 very dark green on a light green turf, with minute 

 pink and white butterfly blossoms. Woodrufi", round 

 and among the furze bushes, like powdery snow 

 newly fallen on the green earth : and curiously named 

 squinancy-wort, exceeding small and fragrant, bloom- 

 ing all over the turfy downs, here white, there rose- 

 red, or deep red, or purple, so variable is it in colour. 

 More abundant still, and more variable, is the minute 

 milkwort, quaintly and prettily described by old 

 Gerarde : " The flower grows at the top of a blew 

 coloiir, fashioned like a little bird, with wings, tail, 

 and body, only to be discovered by those who do 

 observe the same." It is indeed blue in many places, 

 as if a summer shower of blue rain had fallen from 

 an unclouded sky, and the small stems were still 

 beaded with the drops ; but by-and-by, as you walk 

 over the downs, you will find — if you do observe the 

 same — that the flower is getting a paler and paler 



