106 FAMILIAR WILD FLOWERS. 



that we had three species of yellow rattle in Britain, basing 

 specific differences on the size of the flowers, the compara- 

 tive width of the leaves, and other minor points; but further 

 observation has proved that these characteristics are by no 

 means constant, and that plants showing all the necessary 

 gradations of form required to link one reputed species with 

 another may be readily found. Such great modern autho- 

 rities as Hooker and Bentham agree in considering that all 

 these supposed species should be re-united, and deemed one. 



The yellow rattle is an annual, and ordinarily begins 

 flowering early in June. It generally falls before the 

 mower's scythe, as it is a plant of the meadows and pastures. 

 Linnaeus tells us that the Swedes considered that when the 

 plant had done flowering, and was ripening its seeds, was the 

 fit time to begin mowing and gathering in the hay crop ; 

 but with us the grass is cut earlier, while the plant is still 

 in flower. It is ordinarily a sign of indifferent pasture, and 

 tends to make matters worse, for it comes, in the first place, 

 because the herbage is poor, while the herbage is the poorer 

 for its coming. Martyn introduces the plant in his " Flora 

 Rustica," a volume supposed to be devoted to the plants 

 useful to the agriculturalist, but finds it very difficult to say 

 a good word for it. He says that " horses, sheep, and goats 

 are said to eat it, and kine to refuse it. Others affirm that 

 cattle in general at liberty refuse it, but that they will eat 

 it when fresh, but reject it when dry among hay." This, it 

 will be seen, is at best but dubious, and a plant that under 

 some circumstances is refused, and in others rejected, would 

 not appear to have any great value; we may, therefore, very 

 legitimately join in the general denunciation of the plant, 

 handsome as it is. 



The yellow rattle grows to the height of about a foot, the 



