THE VIPER'S BUGLOSS 



ECHIVM VULGARE 



A MOST gaUant herb of the Sun." From sun- 

 baked patches of bare earth blue masses 

 of Viper's Bugloss were throwing back colour for 

 colour to the bright August sky. A few weeks 



a, sepals. 6, petals, c, stamens, d, stigma, style, ovary. 



ago the field had been a vast extent of waving 



greens and pinks, from which wafted rushes of scent 



with every breeze that stirred it ; now the crop was 



cut and only stray plants, which had here and there 



escaped the mowers, spoke of the clover which had 



so lately reigned supreme. But the Viper's Bugloss 



io8 



