154 BIRDS AND MAN 



case on the mind. If any one will look at, say, 

 a Gloire de Dijon rose (in some persons its mental 

 image wiU serve as well as the object itself) and 

 then at a perfect white chrysanthemum, or lily, 

 or other beautiful white flower ; then at a perfect 

 yellow chrysanthemum, or an allamanda, and at 

 any exquisitely beautiful orchid, that has no himian 

 colour in it, which he may be acquainted with, 

 he will probably say : I admire these chrysan- 

 themums and other flowers more than the rose ; 

 they are most perfect in their beauty — I cannot 

 imagine anything more beautiful ; but though 

 the rose is less beautiful and splendid, the admira- 

 tion I have for it appears to differ somewhat in 

 character — to be mixed with some new element 

 which makes this flower actually more to me than 

 the others. 



That something different, and something more, 

 is the human association which this flower has for 

 us in virtue of its colour ; and the new element 

 — the feeling it inspires, which has something of 

 tenderness and affection in it — is one and the same 

 with the feeling which we have for human beauty. 



The foregoing has been given here with a few 



