144 BIRDS AND MAN 



and pansy, and some others, will occur to every 

 one. These are the purple flowers in which blue 

 predominates, and on that account have the same 

 expression as the blue. The purples in which 

 red predominates are akin in expression to the 

 reds, and are associated with flesh-tints and blood. 

 And here it may be noted that the blue and 

 blue -purple flowers, which have the greatest 

 charm for us, are those in which not only the 

 colour of the eye but some resemblance in their 

 form to the iris, with its central spot representing 

 the pupil, appears. For example, the flax, borage, 

 blue geranium, periwinkle, forget-me-not, speed- 

 well, blue pimpernel, and pansy, are actually 

 more to us than some larger and handsomer blue 

 flowers, such as the blue-bottle, vipers' bugloss, 

 and succory, and of blue flowers seen in close 

 masses. 



With regard to the numerous blue and 

 purple-blue flowers which we all admire, or 

 rather for which we aU feel so great an affection, 

 we find that in many cases their very names 

 have been suggested by their human associations 

 — by their expression. 



Love-in-a-mist, angels' eyes, forget-me-not, and 



