ed to give so rude outlines; but every moment now is valuable
to me: careful outline of a dog-violet is given in Plate X.
[4] A careless bit of Byron's, (the last song but one in the 'Deformed
Transformed'); but Byron's most careless work is better, by its innate
energy, than other people's most laboured. I suppress, in some doubts about
my 'digamma,' notes on the Greek violet and the Ion of Euripides;--which
the reader will perhaps be good enough to fancy a serious loss to him, and
supply for himself.
[5] Nine; I see that I missed count of P. farinosa, the most abundant of
all.
[6] "A feeble little quatrefoil--growing one on the stem, like a Parnassia,
and looking like a Parnassia that had dropped a leaf. I think it drops one
of its own four, mostly, and lives as three-fourths of itself, for most of
its time. Stamens pale gold. Root-leaves, three or four, grass-like;
growing among the moist moss chiefly."
[7] The great work of Lecoq, 'Geographic Botanique,' is of priceless value;
but treats all on too vast a scale for our purposes.
[8] It is, I believe, Sowerby's Viola Lutea, 721 of the old edition, there
painted with purple upper petals; but he says in the text, "Petals either
all yellow, or the two uppermost are of a blue purple, the rest yellow with
a blue tinge: very often the whole are purple."
[9] Did the wretch never hear bees in a lime tree then, or ever see one on
a star gentian?
[10] Septuagint, "the eyes of doves out of thy silence." Vulgate, "the eyes
of doves, besides that which is hidden in them." Meaning--the _dim_ look of
love, beyond all others in sweetness.
[11] When I have the chance, and the time, to submit the proofs of
'Proserpina' to friends who know more of Botany than I, or have kindness
enough to ascertain debateable things for me, I mean in future to do
so,--using the letter A to signify Amicus, generally; with acknowledgment
by name, when it is permitted, of especial help or correction. Note first
of this kind: I find here on this word, 'five-petaled,' as applied to
Pinguicula, "Qy. two-lipped? it is monopetalous, and monosepalous, the
calyx and corolla being each all in one piece."
Yes; and I am glad to have the observation inserted. But my term,
'five-petaled,' must stand. For the question with me is always first, not
how the petals are connected, but how many they are. Also I have accepted
the term petal--but never the word lip--as applied to flowers. The generic
term '
|