FLORAL RECORDS. 35 
penting the fatal blow, he caused Hyacinths 
to spring up from the blood of his victim, 
coloured like his “ bluest veins,” and bear- 
ing marks on them resembling the Greek 
character of grief, az, az. 
One would feel inclined to believe this 
was a mere allegorical way of saying that 
Hyacinthus, being fond of living in the open 
air, was killed by a sun-stroke; but such a 
matter-of-fact interpretation is forbidden by 
the fact that a religious festival, called Hya- 
cinthia, in remembrance of the prince’s fate, 
was held annually by the Greeks at Amycle, 
a city of Laconia, where sacrifices, offered in 
honour of the dead, showed at least that 
they believed the legend as it was told to 
them. 
Our English Hyacinthus, or Bluebell, bears 
no marks which simulate a written language, 
and is, consequently, called HHyacinthus non- 
scriptus (7.e. not written on). 
The graceful curl of the petals doubtless 
suggested to the poets “hyacinthine” as an 
epithet for curling locks of hair. 




