OBSERVERS of plants who endeavour to understand their names have usually a tough, task before them. Many names, indeed, carry their meanings in their faces, but many have no meaning at all; and, again, many are founded on such subtle distinctions or fanciful notions that it is not in the plant but in the mind of the no-menclator that we must seek for the coveted explanation. But whatever the vices of botanical terminology-and they are terribly numerous-there are many reasons why names intended to be descriptive should be founded on obvious characters that are displayed above ground. Here is a dog's-tooth violet, and the inquiring amateur may be led to search leaves and flowers for some resemblance to the dog's-tooth moulding that so often occurs in architecture, and may conclude at last that the spots on the leaves shadow forth the resemblance. But the dog's tooth is underground, and we must dig up the plant to make a proper study of its name--a proceeding akin to the cutting open of the bellows to discover the reservoir that contains the wind. The bulbs of the plant are white, and in form not much unlike dog's teeth. They justify the dens canis, and the colour of the flowers--a warm rosy-purple or lilac--in like manner justifies the familiar name of "violet," although in truth we have but rarely seen a violet of such a colour. But a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, and by any other name a dog's-tooth violet would look as pretty, more especially if judiciously placed upon the garden rockery, to display its tesselated leafage and cyclamen-like flowers.

The dog's-tooth violet is the only European species of its family; the others are natives of North America, and are quite hardy and very acceptable in the English garden. They are not adapted for what may be termed "purpose," for in truth they are too choice to be appreciated by the "casual eye," but they are gems of the first water for the eclectic amateur. They belong to the great family of lilies, with which they agree in their six-parted flowers and the arrangement of stamens and pistils, although in less important particulars they are far removed from the genus Lilium.

All the erythroniums will thrive in a deep sandy soil or in peat, and a moist soil suits them better than a dry one. They appear to flower equally well in sun or shade, but shelter from cold winds is desirable, and this the rockery should sufficiently afford them. Border plants they are not, although perfectly able to hold their own in the border so long as they are unmolested. But where shall we find an ordinary garden border in which these plants would be safe? Moreover, they are not showy enough for the border, except it be in the garden where such delicate little things would be fully appreciated and never forgotten; in the few such there may be a home for erythroniums.

The plant before us has oval leaves, blotched with reddish-brown; the flowers are borne singly on stiff stems: they are usually light purple or lilac-coloured, but there are varieties with white, rose, and flesh-coloured flowers; and a variety called majus has longer leaves than the best known form of the plant. The propagation is best accomplished by dividing the clumps every three or four years, and re-planting rather deeply. The best time for this operation is when the leaves are dying down, as then the bulbs are most completely at rest.

The finest of the erythroniums is E. grandiflorum, a suitable plant for a moist peat bed. Nearly allied to it is E. giganteum, a native of Vancouver's Island--the flowers white, with a ring of bright red, the plant one of the hardiest in our gardens. These two fine species are worthy of the special attention of the lover of first-class hardy plants, and they are truly hardy: no frost hurts them, and given a bed of moist peat, with shelter from drying winds, all they further ask is to be let alone.

With the yellow adder's tongue (Erythronium Americanum) the case is different. It is a woodland plant, with beautiful mottled leaves, and flowers of a pale yellow colour that have an orchid-sort of expression as they appear to look over their own leaves, and subtly invite one to observe the floral spots that in some degree dissociate them from their family. This pretty plant requires to be grown on the rockery, and to be there "pot-bound," if such an expression may be used. A peat bed in which it can grow freely is not the best place for it; but a rather starving "pocket," with a good depth of poor sandy soil, will satisfy its wants and persuade it to flower, whereas a position favourable to growth will result in a production of many leaves and few flowers.