CUCKOO FLOWERS. 
MU 
V> 
most common name that I have met with for Orchis mascula 
.^imd 0. inorio is that of “ king fingers.” 
If, however, we assume that Mr. Aplin is right, and Miss Baker 
and myself were wrong in applying the term Cuckoo flower to Arum 
instead of to Orchis, in the words quoted from Clare (see p. 84), it has 
certainly been associated with the Cuckoo for more than 200 years, the 
older authors, such as Culpeper and Parkinson, speaking of it as Cuckow’s 
point, and the Cuckow’s pintle. I have discovered that several of the 
local names enjoy a very limited circulation, and possibly such may 
be the case here. 
Many authors speak of Gardamine pratensis and Gardamine hirsuta 
as Cuckoo flowers. Personally, I do not remember having ever heard 
them called by any other names than those of Lady’s smock {Gardamine 
prafeiisf.s’) and Land cress {Gardamine hirsuta). Shakespeare says— 
“ When daisies pied, and violets blue, 
And Lady smocks all silver white. 
And Guckoo buis of yellow hue. 
Do paint the meadows with delight. 
The Cuckoo then on every tree sings cuckoo.” 
The cuckoo buds mentioned by Shakespeare are said to be the 
golden stars of the pilewort {Ranunculus Ficaria), and Miss Baker states 
that the term is extended so as to include other species of Ranunculus, 
such as bulbosus and acris, and probably also Galtha palustris. 
Here, at Hampton, I am informed that the wood sorrel {Oxalis 
Acetosella) is called Cuckoo flower, and also Anemone nemorosa, which is 
further designated Cuckoo’s maat—the broad pronunciation of meat— 
it being alleged that the bird feeds upon the plant. 
For some time past I have been engaged in recording notes on the 
names by which plants, birds, insects, or any other objects of nature 
are known among the rural population of our Midland Counties, 
noting also such scraps of folklore and relics of superstition as come 
under my notice, it having occurred to me that unless they were 
speedily collected the progress of education, now so liberally dis¬ 
pensed to our country lads and lasses, would in process of time sweep 
them all away, so that they would become totally lost. 
My present opportunities for this work are extremely limited, so 
that I beg to take advantage of the present occasion for soliciting 
assistance from other members of the Midland Union. 
All information that I may thus receive from other members shall be 
noted, and duly acknowledged, it being my intention after having 
collected further information on the subject to send the matter for 
publication in the “ Midland Naturalist.”— Robt. Rogers, Harnpton-in- 
Arden, Warwickshire. 
[Since writing the above I have extracted the following from Parkin¬ 
son’s “ Theatre of Plants.” Speaking of the names of the Wood 
Sorrel or Oxalis Acetosella, he says :—“ Of some Panis Cuculi, Cuckow- 
breade, eyther because the cuckowes delight to feed thereon or that it 
beginneth to blossome when the cuckow beginneth to utter her voyce.” 
— R. R.] 
