HOLCUS. — GLYCERIA. 213 



grass ' of the Merse. In a quiet morning, the dew attracted by the 

 profuse down, stands in drops all along the leaves, ghttering like 

 silver. This rank, moist, and very tempting herbage lures the 

 willing grazers, and gives origin to the Rot. So shepherds inform 

 me. In the Lammermuirs the sheep are reported to be rotted by the 

 sand of brooks and river-sides taken in along with their food. — 

 Children are wont to take two panicles of the hairy grass, and desire 

 a companion to fiold them between the teeth, one on either side of 

 the mouth, when ' ye,' saith the deceiver, ' shall see a bonnie thing.' 

 The grasses, thus placed, are then suddenly pulled away by the 

 stalks, so that the mouth is filled with the mass of torn florets, and 

 much sputtering and ill-humour is produced — for the laughter of 

 those who enjoy such fun." J. Hardy. 



129. H. AVENACEUs=Arrhenatherum avenaceum. Holditch on 

 the Weeds of Agriculture, p. 36. — JSucfcbeartt:^. — Sides of ditches, 

 &c., common. The variety /3, A. bulbosum of some authors, is a 

 troublesome weed on many farms, and, from its tuberous roots, is 

 called JKiTOt^grasiiS. 



130. KoELERiA CRiSTATA= Aira cristata. Dry elevated pastures, 

 not uncommon. July. 



131. Glyceria FLtTiTANS=Poafluitans=Festuca fluitans. Curt. 

 Brit. Grass, 59. Stillingfleet's Works, ii. 284. pi. 11.— Flote-grass. 

 — Ditches and stagnant water, common. — A sweet grass, of which 

 cattle are very fond ; and they may be often seen wading to the dew- 

 lap and licking the floating leaves from the surface of the water. 

 July, August. 



This grass grows lush in winter. Long before the advent of 

 spring the leaves may be seen lying along the pond's surface in 

 narrow blades, which have, at this season, a purplish tint. They 

 have shot from the margin, where the Water-cress and the Brook- 

 lime are growing in beds, very fresh and clean. Within them, and 

 in deeper water, the Callitriche shoots up its slender stalks, and 

 floats its healthy rosette of leaves on the surface ; and the Duckweed 

 carpets some odd corner whither the cold wind has driven it for 

 shelter. I like to study this winter vegetation : — the green of it is 

 very pleasant, and the growth healthy and compact, braced, as it 

 were, by the cold. And it has not uninteresting contrasts. The 

 centre of the pond, if deep, is xmoccupied open water ; if shallow, 

 planted with the dead stalks of last summer's Water Plantain, that, 

 in their figure and mode of branching, imitate, in a small way, a 

 plantation of decaying Larches. The cany stalks of the tall grasses 

 and of reeds line the margin partially, retaining still the chafiy rem- 

 nants of their flowering panicle. The Duckweed lurks in scattered 

 masses amidst these reeds ; and at their roots, far below the water, 

 the Willow-herb (Epilobium hirsutum) shows a bed of shoots which 

 await there the coming of spring— ready to rush to the surface, and 

 gain a place in the many-pied garland of summer. There too the 

 curious eye sees, as in a mirror, green masses of Confervse, and 



