THE CELANDINE. 
“ The name of this plant is derived from 
the Greek, and signifies a swallow. It is not 
so named, as some have supposed, from its 
coming and going with the swallow ; but, ac¬ 
cording to Gerarde, from an opinion which 
prevailed among the country-people, that the 
old swallows used it to restore sight to their 
young, when their eyes were out. For the 
same reason it is also called Swallow-wort. 
“ The Great, or Major Celandine, which is 
the proper Swallow-wort, is common in hedges, 
and other shady places ; on rubbish, rocks, or 
old walls. It bears a bright-yellow flower, 
and continues in blossom from the beginning 
of May till the end of July. 
“ This species preserves its green leaves all 
the year, and they are remarkably handsome ; 
being large, elegantly shaped, and of a trans¬ 
parency which shows the delicacy of their tex¬ 
ture, as the yellow light shines through them. 
“ The Small Celandine, or Pilewort, is a 
species of ranunculus, called the ranunculus 
ficaria, from the shape of the root, which re¬ 
sembles that of the fig. This plant is not usu¬ 
ally admitted into gardens; but on the con¬ 
trary, on account of the injury it does to every 
thing growing near it, is carefully rooted out 
wherever it appears.'' 
