1890.] 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



165 



probably to the fairies or little folk." He seemed astonished. " Well !" 

 he said " I always thought that plant," pointing to the fox glove, " was 

 the bluebell." 



This gross ignorance with respect to the lower forms of life, is 

 common to great numbers, not merely of the so called uneducated 

 masses, but also of the more highly educated middle classes. Educa- 

 tion, too often means, cramming the memory with a certain routine of 

 facts, instead of discipling the eye to see and the memory to store up 

 the impressions thus received from the external world. 



Any efforts to dissipate this dense ignorance are worthy of the 

 Naturalist's attention and encouragement. In this connection may be 

 mentioned the effort made at various Flower Shows to popularize the 

 study of plants by giving prizes for the best collection of wild flowers. 

 Too often these collections are made at random and the prizes allotted 

 without any regard to the real value of the specimens. An improve- 

 ment was made at the Flower Show at Waterhouses near Durham 

 City, where prizes were offered for the best collections of native wild 

 flowers, with the common and scientific names attached. The collec- 

 tions shown formed a very good object lesson in the Flora of the 

 District, and was fairly representative of the wild flowers of the County 

 at present in bloom. One stranger, Clematis vit alb a, or Traveller's Joy, 

 had evidently travelled from a distance, as its favourite habitat is in 

 the chalky lanes of some southern counties. About 90 per cent of the 

 plants were named correctly, allowing for the phonetic spelling of certain 

 Latin names. Amongst the mis-named plants was the ' Helleborine ' 

 Epipactis hit i folia, which in two collections was called ' Bird's ' Nest 

 Orchis.' That common weed of our gardens and waste places Atriplex 

 patula, a. member of the Goosefoot family, was dubbed ' Dog's Mercury.' 

 There was a confusing of Senecio aquatica with Senecio jacobcva which 

 was perhaps not to be wondered at. One did wonder however to see 

 Valeriana officinalis written dowm as SpircRa filipendula. The common 

 Mallow Malva sylvestris was named as the Marsh-mallow, Althcea 

 officinalis.' 1 ' The narrow leaved Dock, Rumex acutus was named Rumex 

 acetosa the Sour Dock, evidently the Exhibitor had not tasted the leaf. 



After making due allowance for these and other errors the remain- 



* I do not wonder at this blunder, which is widespread. The common mallow has 

 been nearly exterminated here, from a belief in the efficacy of the marsh mallow, 

 which it is supposed to be, for healing sores. Ed. Y.N. 



