The Work Of Nature In The Months.

Jliehael Drayton Avntes : — - " The Pausie and the Marigold , Are Phceus' paramours . " Whilst Edmund Spenser sings -. — , " Strew me the ground with Daffe-down-dillies , And CoAvsIips , and King-cups , and loved Lilies , The prettPauuce

y And the Chevisaunce Shall watch with the fayre Flour de Luce . " Other ancient authors refer to the plant as " HeartVease , " " Herb Trinity , " and "Three Faces under a Hood . " Meet companion of these general favourites is the dainty little Wood Anemone , or WindfloAver of older authorswhose exquisite Avhite fioAverAvith its purplish backis too

Avell-, , , knoAvn to need descri ption . In some counties , where the soil is chalky , the beautiful PasquefloAver Anemone is also met with . The Light-blue Mountain and the TBIIOAV varieties are very rare indeed . All belong to the Ranunculus family , the acrid properties of Avhich are Avell knoAvn ; the leaves cheAved produce violent vomiting , whilst applied to the skin , they act as vigorously as a mustard poultice .

We have already alluded slightly to the Cowslip in speaking of its close resemblance to the Primrose , but this flower , so eagerly sought b y the little ones must not be thus lightly passed oA'er . In many counties it is called Paigle , —whence the name and Avhat it means we know not . Several rustic practices are connected Avith it . Certain of our old . herbalists , who ne \ 'er missed an opportunity of vituperating the physician ' s " drugs , " proclaim the praises of ointment made of CoAvslip petals ; one of them says : — " Our city dames knoAV Avell enough that the distilled Avater of the Cowsliadds beautyor at least restores it when

p , lost . " This ointment is still used in country places to remove freckles and sun-burn . Most shoAvy balls are made for the cbiklen of the blossoms ; for this purpose the clusters are p icked off from the top of the stems , and a number of them hung upon a string stretched betAveen two chairs ; the blossoms are then pressed carefully together , and the string drawn up tight , so as to bring them into a ball with the bloom outside ; the experienced maker of these pretty floral toys is extremely careful that all the flowers shall be fullexpanded . Although

y the tufts of this plant are much disliked by the Agriculturalist on account of their large size yet utter inutility for food for cattle , the leaves are sometimes boiled as a vegetable . COAVslip Avine is too Avell knoAvn to need more than a passing mention . Shakespeare , Milton , and Ben Jonson all speak of the CoAvslip , thus the latter says , in the Shepherd ' s Holiday ;—

" Strew , strew , the smiling ground AA'ith every flower , yet not confound The Primrose drop , the Spring ' s own spouse , Bright daye's eyes , and the lips of cows , The garden star , the queen of May , The rose to crown the holiday . "

Nor do more modern poets pass it over , for familiar descrip tions of "The Freckled COAVsli p " are' . ' Cinque spotted like the crimson drops I' the bottom of a Cowslip . " and" Cowslips wan that hang the pensive head . " The handsome green ancl gold PileAvort is IIOAV in its fullest beauty , but it must not be

confounded Avith that most gorgeous of floAvers , the Marsh-Marigold , largest and most shoAvy of the Butter-cu p or Ranunculus tribe ; as its name implies it is only found in very moist situations . Not far from this plant will probably be found its intimate relation the White Water Ranunculus with its curiously cut leaves . Hard by will doubtless be flowering the ' wan-hued " Lad y ' s Smock , as Avell as the handsome Bitter Cardamine . Several of the k peedAA'ells are HOAV in bloom , —the Germander Chiekweed , the Vernal , and the Trifid—so called from the shape of the upper leaves , which are deeply cut into the shape of tri p le