122 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



This is readily and effectively recognised 

 by its inimitable perfume, so delicious 

 ^ and exquisite as to linger in the mind, 

 a pleasant memory from one spring to 

 the next. It is also the earliest 

 flowerer, in open seasons blossoming 

 freely in February. Botanically it is 

 distinguished by the leaves continuing 

 to increase in size after the flowers are 

 produced. When fully developed the 

 leaves are truly cordate, or heart-shaped, 

 in their young state they are curiously 

 rolled up from the margin to the mid- 

 rib on each side, which is called involute 

 vernation. It is often found with 

 white flowers, and varying shades of 

 lilac and purple occur, but always self 

 coloured. Although so abundant in 

 the shady lanes and hedgerows of 

 England, the sweet violet is very scarce 

 and doubtfully wild in Scotland, 

 although I have gathered it on the 

 banks of the Tweed. More generally 

 and widely distributed is the hairy 

 violet [F» hirta), it rather resembles 

 the sweet violet, but is destitute of the 

 strawberry-like runners, and is scent- 

 less. It may be known by the 

 remarkable hairiness of all its parts, it 

 loves to grow in rocky places prefering 

 a limestone formation. 



The marsh violet ( V. palustris) may 

 be known at once from its place of 

 growth. It is the only native violet 

 found growing in bogs and marshes, 

 and is never met with except in wet 

 watery places, where it flourishes 



amongst the rank grasses, and shows 

 its large round smooth, glossy green 

 leaves. 



Most common and conspicuous of 

 all is the wood violet [V, sylvatica), 

 it may be said to be ubiquitous, on 

 every dry sunny bank or roadside, in 

 open pasture, or shady woodland glade, 

 the type or some of its half-dozen 

 varieties, are sure to be met with. 

 Formerly Linnaeus' name of canina, 

 the dog-violet, in the sense of common 

 or worthless was applied to this abund- 

 ant species, but that name is now 

 restricted to a much less common 

 sub-species, found on dry sandy downs, 

 especially near the sea. 



It is not my intention to confuse, 

 or weary young botanists with the 

 technical descriptions of the minute 

 distinctions, which serve to separate 

 the various varieties of the text-books, 

 but any amateur collector may safely 

 set down the common violet of Summer 

 as belonging to this species. The 

 three coloured violet, or pansy {F. 

 tricolor) is readily recognised by its 

 showy corolla, and the blending of 

 colours, the two upper petals are usu- 

 ally distinctly different from the other 

 three, varying tints of purple, yellow, 

 and white predominating. This violet 

 is one of the rare blossoms in which 

 yellow and violet are intermixed, these 

 two primary colours in flowers usually 

 run on two distinctly different lines, 

 the yellow (xanthic), and the blue 



