AUGUST. 



327 



expansion of the central parts proceeding, these points 

 fall back ; the stamens unfold in an interior coronet, 

 the stigmas are laid bare, a grateful perfume arises in 

 the air, and the great object of the flower the ferti- 

 lization of the seeds is accomplished. Then fold 

 inwards the petals, the flower closes, the fairest of 

 vegetable textures becomes wrinkled, decay begins, 

 and the flower-stalk withdraws itself beneath the 

 water as if to veil the progress of corruption. But 

 out of this decay arises a new living body ; the fruit 

 curved downwards swells rapidly, and in a short time 

 a prickly seed-vessel is observed concealed beneath the 

 floating leaves." SCHOMBUEGH mentions leaves mea- 

 suring 6 feet 5 inches in diameter, with a turned-up 

 rim 5 inches deep, but the largest of the Chatsworth 

 leaves was about 5 feet in diameter. The flower-stalk, 

 leaf-stalk, and the ribs of the leaves are armed with 

 prickles, and contain large air-cells, by which the leaf 

 is rendered very buoyant. A leaf of the Chatsworth 

 plant supported a little girl nine years of age upon 

 the water. Both in the wild and cultivated state the 

 flowers exhale a very peculiar but most delightful 

 odour. 



With the imperial naiad, Victoria regia, may be 

 contrasted the humble Erog-bit Water-lily (Hydro- 

 cJiaris Morsus-Rancs) of our own ditches and slow 

 streams, whose leaves are no larger than those of a 

 violet, and whose crumpled white flowers have only 

 three petals. Tefc the economy of this almost unre- 

 garded tenant of the waters is not unworthy of notice, 

 nor when closely examined is it devoid of beauty. Its 

 floating reniform leaves are purple beneath, and it 

 increases almost entirely by floating runners, so that 



