in antiquity, feasts which the inhabitants of Egina celebrated in honour of Apollo, furnished Delphinus, so called, as it is pretended, because he assumed the form of a dolphin to conduct Calchas and his colony from the isle of Crete to the Saronic Gulf. Delphinium, one of the courts of judicature of the Athenians; so called from the proximity of the place, where they held their assemblies, to the temple of Apollo Delphinus.

DELIINIUM, DOLPHIN-FLOWER, OR LARKSPUR: A genus of the trigynia order, belonging to the polyandria clas of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 26th order, Multiflora. There is no calyx; the petals are five; the nectarium bifid, and horned behind; the filigree three or one. There are seven species; four are cultivated in gardens. Two of these are annual, and two perennial. They are herbaceous plants of upright growth, rising from 18 inches to four feet in height, garnished with finely divided leaves, and terminated by long spikes of pentapetalous flowers of blue, red, white, or violet colours.—One species, the confusa, is found wild in several parts of Britain, and grows in corn-fields. According to Mr Withering, the expressed juice of the petals, with a little alum, makes a good blue ink. The seeds are acid and poisonous. When cultivated, the blossoms often become double. Sheep and goats eat this plant; horses are not fond of it; cows and swine refuse it.—The first mentioned species makes a very fine appearance in gardens, and is easily propagated by seeds; being so hardy, that it thrives in any soil or situation.