FRITILLA'RIA MELEA'GRIS. 
CHEQUERED FRITILLARIA. 
Class. Order. 
HEXANDRIA. MONOGYN1A. 
Natural Order. 
LILJACEjE. 
Native of 
Height. 
Flowers in 
Duration 
Inhabits 
Britain. 
1 foot 
April, May. 
Perennial. 
Meadows. 
No. 183. 
The term Fritillaria has been given as a deri- 
vative from the Latin fritillus, said to be in allusion 
to a chess or draught board, from the chequered 
pattern of the flowers; though the Latin term ap- 
plies alone to the dice box, and not to the board. 
Meleagris, a guinea-hen, from the resemblance of 
some of these singularly freckled flowers to the 
plumage of those fowls. Snake’s-head appears to 
be the most prevailing English name for this plant ; 
though the old appellations Chequered Daffodil, and 
Guinea-hen Flower, are not altogether exploded. 
The variety figured seems to stand at the head 
of a numerous offspring of different colours ; and 
though of less specious character, claims priority 
of notice. Parkinson, in his Paradisus Terrestris, 
observes, that many sorts had lately been found, 
as white, red, black, and yellow, besides the purple, 
which was first known ; and of each of them there 
were divers sorts. It may be conceived that he 
was rather an admirer of the Fritillaria, for after 
observing that he knew of no peculiar medical 
properties that it possessed, he says, “ The chiefe 
or onely vse thereof is to be an ornament for the 
