WILD FLOWERS OP SEPTEMBER. 369 



which ignorance never dreams." I have constantly 

 found the truth of this in all my rambles, and hence I 

 feel great pleasure whenever I meet with any person 

 willing to receive on his mind the impress of new 

 images, before unthought of or unknown ; and this 

 happens not unfrequently. 



"Whatever, indeed," says Dr. DRUMMOISTD, "will 

 pleasurably tempt us to visit the scenes of nature, 

 will bring with it the reward of happiness ; and to 

 this, I believe, is owing the enthusiasm of the angler, 

 in following his favourite occupation. It is not merely 

 the capture of a few fish that delights him, but that 

 it leads him into the lovely scenery of the country, 

 wlierever mountains rise and ivaters floiv, whether 

 through meadows rich with verdure, or along the 

 more sequestered course of rivers, bounded by heath- 

 covered hills, among which they brawl over stones and 

 rocks, or plunge headlong raging and foaming down 

 the dark and gloomy precipice. It is not the paltry 

 taking of a few trout that constitutes the charm of 

 the pursuit ; this originates in the impressions formed 

 on the mind by the various scenes of nature into 

 which the angler is drawn in following up his pastime; 

 and to feelings of similar origin we may trace much 

 of the pleasure arising from the pursuit of any branch 

 of natural history, and more especially that of Botany. 

 It is true, indeed, that the study of the productions 

 of nature may be delightful under any circumstances ; 

 and that the inhabitant of a crowded metropolis may 

 pursue it with the greatest ardour ; but still the in- 

 vestigation of nature in her own domain has additional 

 charms ; and however much we may admire the beauty 

 of natural objects, of shells, for instance, in the cabi- 



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