THE CROWFOOTS 165 
of the shortly-stalked, hairy, serrated leaves. But 
I want you to notice a point about this plant that 
only botanists observe. Along the stem there are 
two opposite lines of hairs, which change their 
position at each pair of leaves, or, as the botanists 
say, they “alternate at each node.” We have 
some sixteen species of Veronica, or Speedwell, in 
our British flora. The genus is included in the 
Natural Order Scrophulariacez, which embraces the 
Figworts, Foxgloves, Toadflaxes, and some other 
plants. 
To get to the quarry we have to cross this meadow, 
which just now is almost white with Daisies, all 
holding their heads up to the sun in a most business- 
like way. But there are plenty of flowers other 
than the Daisies in the meadow. I see three kinds 
of Buttercups : one the Creeping Crowfoot (Ranwn- 
culus repens); another the Bulbous Crowfoot 
(R. bulbosus) ; and the third, the Upright Meadow 
Crowfoot (R. acris). The two last-named plants 
are rather early in their appearance, as they do not 
usually flower till June. Of course, this is the 
28th of May, so that they are only about a week 
before their time. Flowers are usually fairly early 
in this meadow, probably because it faces the south, 
and is well sheltered from the north and east by 
the wood. As the Daisies now flood the meadow 
with white, so very shortly will the Buttercups 
carpet it with yellow. Later the purple of the Self 
Heal will predominate, to be superseded in its turn 
by the yellow Hawk-bits. This meadow is a 
favourite resort with me, and I should like you two 
boys to fall in love with it. If you wish to be natural- 
