Old book illustrations wordshop

FUCHSIA s. (from Fuchs, pr. n.) Bot. Genus of the onagraceae family, it includes about fifty species of shrubs and an infinity of ornamental varieties, sought-after by horticulturists. This genus is entirely American, except for two species found in New Zealand, the majority of the species being indigenous to Mexico and the mountains of Brazil. Cultivated fuchsias can be divided into three sections: fuchsias with short flowers, fuchsias with long flowers and fuchsias with flowers in panicles. Among fuchsias with short flowers we find fuchsia coccinea from Chile, also called fuchsia glabosa by some florists. For many years it was the only species known in the United States. It is remarkable for its axillary and hanging flowers, with scarlet chalice and purple petals. In the long flowers section, the tube of the chalice is longer by 1.57 inches (4 cm) to 2.36 inches (6 cm). Fuchsia fulgens, bright Mexican species, comes …Read more »

GOLKONDA, ancient city and fortress in India, part of the Nizam’s possessions, 1O kil. (6.25 miles) N.-W. of Hyderabad. The fortress is used today as a prison and a place where to store the treasure. Approximately 600 m. (656 yards) away from this fortress stand the splendid mausoleums of former kings of Golkonda. Each mausoleum stands at the center of a vast quadrangular platform which can be reached on any side by a granite …Read more »

Once upon a time there was a widower, who lived with his three daughters. One day, one of his daughters said to him:
- Father, could you go to the fountain and fetch me a jug of water? There is not a drop left in the house, and I’ll need some for the stew.
- Very well my child, answered the old man.
And he took a jug and went to the fountain. as he was leaning over the water, filling up his jug, a toad sprang up and jumped at his face and clutched at it so tightly that all his efforts to get rid of it were useless.
- You will only be able to get me off your face if you promise to give me one of your daughters for a wife! Said the toad.
He left his jug by the fountain, and ran to the house.
- O God! what happened to you, father? his daughters exclaimed, when they saw him in such a state.
- Alas! my poor children …Read more »

The oak one day address’d the reed:
‘To you ungenerous indeed
Has nature been, my humble friend,
With weakness aye obliged to bend.
The smallest bird that flits in air
Is quite too much for you to bear;
The slightest wind that wreathes the lake
Your ever-trembling head doth shake.
The while, my towering form
Dares with the mountain top
The solar blaze to stop, …Read more »

GLADIOLUS s. (lat. gladius, sword, because its leaves are long, narrow and pointed). Bot. genus of the iridaceae family which includes a great number of species and hybrids sought for the size, the form and the beauty of their flowers. - The cornflag (gladiolus communis) bears beautiful pink flowers. The most beautiful exotic species are: gladiolus cardinalis, with large flowers of a very bright scarlet colour; gladiolus versicolor, with …Read more »

The first glance I took, when I made my first reverence to the king of Spain¹ upon arriving, astonished me so much that I had to use all my senses to pull myself together. I couldn’t see anything about him reminding one of the Duc d’Anjou, and I had to look hard into this long and much changed face, which was even more closed up than when he left France. He was bent forward, and much smaller, his chin thrown forward, far away from his chest, his feet stiff, touching each other, and stepping over each over as he walked, although walked quickly, and the knees more than one foot apart. What he told me was well said, but he said it so slowly, as though dragging each word out of his mouth, with such a stupid look on his face, that I felt astounded. A jerkin, without any gilt, made of some sort of brown homespun, because of the hunt where he was about to go, did not do anything for his appearance or his bearing. He wore a wig and his blue ribbon over his jerkin, always and on any occasion, so that …Read more »

HORNED SCREAMER s. Large black bird of the wader order, palamedeae family, whose head is adorned with a sort of helmet and whose wings are armed with spurs: it lives in the marshes of Guyana and Brazil. The horned screamer (palamedea cornuta, Linn.), is larger than a goose, it is approximately 130 cm (4′ 4″) long; it is blackish with a red spot on each shoulder, the lower parts of the chest are white. Horned Screamers usually live …Read more »