170 STARLIGHT AND SUNSHINE. 
them. I have included the hepatica mainly on the witness of 
other noses than my own, it never having revealed to me an 
odor entitled to the distinction of fragrance; certainly no more 
so than the bloodroot and wind-flower (Axemone nemorosa), which 
have a breath but not a perfume. The inflorescence of the sweet 
golden-rod (Solidago odora) emits a distinct scent from that of its 
leaves, and various others of the mints than that mentioned yield 
a sweet blossom-breath which is lost in the aroma of their foliage. 
I have drawn the line at the secretive blooms, referring mainly 
to such spontaneous communicative examples as are wont 
“to bud out faire and throwe their sweete smels all arownd.” 
A few which I have marked with a star may be supplemented 
with a few words; the dandelion, for instance, without even re- 
sorting to the humblebee fashion of smelling, even as you recline 
near it, yields a readily perceptible and pleasant odor. The gin 
seng ground-nut and moth mullein are or are not odorous accord- 
ing to their whim. I have given four species of violets, only two 
of which are commonly accorded perfume, /. ddanda and V. Can- 
adensts. The yellow species, so feelingly commemorated in Bry- 
ant’s poem, is included here in honor of the poet, who detected its 
“faint perfume in the virgin air” of April, but which has as yet 
brought no such sweet message to me. As to the / Selkirkz, I 
confess to a venture as to title, having ascribed that name to a 
specimen which was brought to me in Williamstown, Mass., late 
in October, several years ago, and which, undetermined at the 
time in the absence of my botany, was without doubt the species 
credited. It was larger by considerable than any other of our wild 
violets, with the possible exception of the bird-foot (V. peda¢a), and 
its other characters plainly referred it to the species given. But 
in addition it exhaled a fragrance almost equal to the delicious 
English species, and in this respect far surpassed either of our 
two other fragrant violets. I shall always regret that circum- 
stances prevented my seeking the plant in its habitat and secur- 
ing its seed, for no such fragrant violet is accredited to our flora. 
