13 JUNE 1914, Page 16

"ROOTS OF 'DEVIL'S BIT." "

[TO Ts. EDITOR 01 en "erscuvos."1 Snz,—"Devil's bit" (see Spectator, June 6th, p. 946) is the Devil's bit scabious (Sections succisa), very common in our sandy soil here, of which Gerarde says: "The great part of the root seemeth to be bitten away; old fantastic charmers report that the devil did bite it for envy because it is an herbs that bath so many good virtues and is so beneficial to man-