MR. W. II. niDWELL ON SOME Oli.SOLETE DISHES. 
GOl 
1’ellitouy {1‘aridarlu fiftcinalis). The mention, also, of 
pellitory of Spain, shows that this species is intended. 
Mercury {Merrunalix //emniis). Sir James Smith says; “Though 
poisonous, it appears from the accounts of ancient writers that it 
may be eaten boiled a.s a pot herb, if mixed with mucilaginous 
plants and oily substances.” Kay relates a case in which a man. Ids 
wife, and three children suffered .severely from eating it fried with 
bacon, 
CmvEa {AUium xchoenoprasum). 
Kam.sins {AlUuni. umimm). Tlio value of this bulb is set forth 
in a proverb: 
“Kate leeke.x in Lido [ilarch], and ramsins in ilay, 
Jnd all the year after iiliysicians may play.” 
Saffron. ( )f which all that can be said has been well said by 
Mr. (Jordor in his interesting paper (Trans. Norfolk and Norwich 
Nat. Soc. vol. iv. p. ill). 
( Ialinoale ( and the Hart’s-tonoue {Scofoimi- 
ilriuni riihjave). 
Though not mentioned in the list, wo know that Agrimony 
(Afinmonia enpaloria), which ivas formerly in great rc«piest for its 
medicinal properties, and Celandine {Clicluh>uinni majm), a {topn- 
lar remedy for the cure of warts and certain diseases of the eye, 
were grown in gardens at that time, as was also Angelica 
[Amjelica uirhaiu/elird), which was valued as food as well as 
medicine; the leaf stalks were blanched and eaten as celery or 
candied for sweetmeats. 
The names in this fifteenth century list n-hich I have failed to 
identify are: Cart.\bu8, Lympens, Selbestryve, Dbaoans, Herb- 
serpentine, and Seliane; and there are two plants named about 
which there may be some doubt as to which species is intended, 
Eringez and Elabre. 
We should hardly have thought that the Eryngo {Erjiw/ium 
inaritimnm) would have been recommended for a garden, and 
though the candied roots were much prized as a sweetmeat, they 
were usually collected on the sea shore. Sir Thomas Browne sa 3 's 
that some of his information about sea birds was derived from the 
eryngo gatherers. Gerard however tells us that he had both this 
plant and Enjwjnun rami/esfre, which he did not know as a Briti.sh 
plant, groM’ing in his garden. The !^ea Holly he brought for his 
