162 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. 
genus Viola are enumerated by Professor Eaton as indigen- 
ous to North America. I have seen one or two specimens 
of a delicate;, lowly little flower^, whose blossoms^ hanging 
from a stem of about six inches in heigh t^, bear a resem- 
blance to tiny pairs of breeches. They are white, the upper 
part or mouth of the corolla tinged with yellow ( Corydalis 
CucuUaria), I was at a loss at first to find its leaves ; for 
* on breaking off the flower close to the earthy no leaves were 
attached to it : the fact is^, the leaves spring directly from the 
root^ and they are connected with the flower-stalk beneath 
the surface. They are pinnatifid;, the lobes irregularly in- 
cised. A very common and humble plant is likewise in 
flower^ the Dandelion ( Leontodon Taraxacum J ; though 
despised^ the blossom is pretty. 
C. — What is the origin of the name, dandelion ? 
F, — The word was originally Dent-de-lion, that is^, lion's 
tooth;, the leaves being cut into curved teeth^, pointing back- 
ward. The generic name signifies the same thing ; this 
form of the leaf is called runcinate. In Newfoundland, the 
leaves of the dandelion are much sought after in spring, as a 
culinary vegetable ; their taste, when boiled, is peculiar, but 
agreeable to many persons, and as this is the first eatable 
vegetable that appears, the meadows and fields are fre- 
quented at this season by boys and girls, who in cutting up 
the plant with knives, cut up a great deal of the grass also, 
and do considerable mischief. Here it is not eaten. 
C. — The plum trees are one mass of blossoms ; let us look 
at them and enjoy tl\eir perfume. How loud the bees are 
humming amongst them ! 
F. — That is not the humming of bees ; look attentively, 
and you will see a novelty. 
C. — Ha ! there is what I have long wished to see, a 
humming-bird sucking the flowers. There are two of them : 
let us take a closer view of them. 
