294 _ LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS. 
from it, a cord tied round it, and the other end 
fastened to a dog, which pulls it away, and then 
has to pay the penalty of the impious deed. 
Were we to collect all the absurd and supersti¬ 
tious notions that have originated in ancient 
errors, respecting the supposed virtues of plants 
which never existed, they would form a curious 
volume. 
Recollections, Painful, Flos Adonis. Page 147. 
- Tender, Periwinkle. P’age 89. 
Reconciliation, Hazel. Page 255. 
Reserve, Maple. The Maple has been made the 
emblem of reserve, because its flowers are late in 
opening and slow to fall. 
Resistance, Tremella Nostoc. This is a gelatinous 
plant, which has much engaged the attention of* 
' men of science, but has hitherto escaped their 
researches. It was in high repute with the 
alchymists of old, who, like the vulgar of the 
present day, considered it to be the substance of 
what are termed falling stars, and employed it as 
such in their attempts to compose the philoso¬ 
pher’s stone and a universal panacea. Other 
sages have regarded this gelatin as matter cast 
up by hawks after eating frogs; and others. 
