58  The  Origin  of  some  Old  Agricultural  Words. 
amounting  to  nearly  thirty,  in  which  the  word  house  is  pro- 
nounced in  our  dialects  ; with  similar  lists  for  hundreds  of 
other  words.  I mention  this  to  give  an  idea  of  the  extreme 
care  and  minuteness  with  which  the  work  has  been  done. 
To  return  to  our  plant-names.  What  is  the  result  of 
Britten  and  Holland’s  work,  as  recorded  (for  the  most  part)  in 
the  English  Dialect  Dictionary  ? 
What  they  found,  and  have  recorded,  is  very  much  what 
might  have  been  expected.  In  different  counties  different 
names  have  prevailed  ; and  names  which  were  but  vaguely 
given  at  the  outset  have  been  largely  confused  and  intermixed. 
But  it  is  as  well  that  we  should  know  this  and  realise  it ; 
because  we  shall  then  more  clearly  recognise  the  state  of 
things  with  which  we  have  to  deal. 
In  many  cases  the  names  reported  were  so  doubtful  in  their 
application  that  the  editors  had  to  insist  upon  receiving  a 
specimen  of  the  plant  ; for  here,  at  any  rate,  they  were  safe. 
By  help  of  this  precaution,  and  by  consulting  all  the  old 
herbals,  they  compiled  their  list.  A single  example  will 
suffice  to  show  what  they  found. 
The  word  cowslip  has  at  least  six  meanings,  viz.  : 
(1)  Primula  veris  (Cumberland,  Yorks.)  ; (2)  Primula 
variabilis,  Goup.,  and  P.  elatior , Jacq.  (Essex,  Cambs., 
Herts.,  Kent,  Middlesex,  Suffolk)  ; (3)  Orchis  mascula  (Rut- 
land) ; (4)  Narcissus  Pseudo-narcissus  (Devon) ; (5)  Anemone 
nemorosa  (Scotland)  ; (6)  Fritillaria  Meliagris  (Hants.). 
Conversely,  the  Latin  index  shows  that  the  Primula  veris 
has  at  least  thirty-four  different  names  in  our  provincial 
dialects.  I need  not  give  them  all  ; some  of  the  more  striking 
are  coivslop,  culverkeys , galligaskins,  herb  paralysy , paigle , 
palsy-wort,  St.  Peter  wort. 
The  result  is  useful  and  valuable  ; but  for  practical  pur- 
poses, where  accuracy  and  fixity  of  nomenclature  are  desirable,- 
it  is  obviously  chaotic  and  impossible. 
I am  asked,  by  way  of  example,  what  is  to  be  done  with 
Medicago  lupulina  ? It  is  variously  called  black  medick  or 
black-seed,  hop-trefoil,  yellow  trefoil,  &c. 
In  a case  like  this,  it  is  obviously  useless  to  consult  our 
dialects  only  ; we  want  some  additional  and  more  definite 
authority.  I would  therefore  venture  to  recommend  some  such 
book  as  Sowerby’s  British  Wild-flowers,  in  which  an  attempt 
has  been  made  to  reduce  the  common  names  to  some  sort  of 
order.  Sowerby’s  list,  with  respect  to  Medicago,  is  as  follows  : — 
M.  fal  ata  (sickle  medick).  M.  sativa  (lucerne,  or  purple 
medick).  M.  lupulina  (black  medick  or  nonesuch).  M. 
maculata  (spotted  medick).  M.  denticulata  (reticulated 
medick).  M.  minima  (little  medick).  M.  silvestris  (medick). 
