LILIES. 51 



The principal mention of the Lily in Scripture, is 

 in Canticles, where Solomon frequently uses it as 

 conveying the impression of great beauty and love- 

 liness. 



There are many flowers to which the name of Lily is 

 applied, between some of which there seems to be 

 but little resemblance. Among these, perhaps there 

 is none more beautiful, and certainly none more won- 

 derful, than the Victoria Regia, or the Great Water 

 Lily. No description of this remarkable plant can 

 convey to the reader any adequate idea of its singu- 

 lar beauty. It stands alone among its tribe as Queen 

 of the Waters, nothing having yet been discovered 

 which can compare with it. (See Frontispiece.) 



This plant, although known to naturalists as early 

 as 1822, was not introduced into England until about 

 the year 1846, when seeds were taken thither by 

 Thomas Bridges, a collector of curious plants in South 

 America. We extract the following narrative from 

 the published account of his discovery. 



" During my stay at the Indian town of Santa 

 Ana, in the province of Moxos, republic of Bolivia, 

 during the summer of 1845, I made daily shooting 

 excursions in the vicinity. In one of these I had 

 the good fortune, whilst riding along the woody banks 

 of the river Yacuma, one of the tributary rivers of 

 the Marnore, to come suddenly on a beautiful pond, 

 or rather small lake, embosomed in the forest, where, 

 to my delight and astonishment, I discovered for the 

 first time, the Queen of Aquatics, the Victoria Regia! 

 There were at least fifty flowers in view, and Belzoni 



