4 FAMILIAR FLOWERS OF FIELD AND GARDEN. 



in Eoxbury whose front yards are brightened by this 

 seemingly pathetic, drooping little flower as early as 

 the frost will permit it to appear. It is amazing to 

 see the courageous little thing hanging its dainty 

 head over patches of ice and snow which linger into 

 the middle of Mai-ch ! When the snow and the 

 flower are seen thus together, we 

 are startled by the incongruity of 

 the situation : death and life side 

 by side on the dawn of the living 

 year. The 1st of January, New- 

 Year's day, is but a name ; the real 

 birthday of the year is marked by 

 the first snowdrop which lifts its 

 head above the winter's snow. 



The flower is full of interest, 

 and even under the glass it reveals 

 a new beauty ; its inner divisions 

 are short and notched at the end, 

 and are tipped with green ; the 

 coloring inside is extremely deli- 

 cate. The snowdrop belongs to the 

 Amaryllis family. 

 Scilla,orSqum. ^he pretty blue 



Scilla Sibevica, or Scilla, which ap- 



pears in the grassy plots of our parks 

 and gardens in early spring, is a welcome visitor 



Scilla, or Squill. 



