462 THE STORY OF PLANT LIFE 



and besides it is better for the tyro to work out the details 

 for himself or herself. 



Lastly, the subject of Fossil Botany, which has in recent 

 years assumed a more important place in botanical work, 

 from the interest taken in the origin and evolution of plants, 

 may be introduced, and therefore a few memoranda on this 

 head are subjoined. 



The sequence of study may seem quite arbitrary, but is 

 more especially adapted to the particular line of attack here 

 suggested for acquiring botanical knowledge upon the basis 

 of using the British flora — as any one can study it to-day in 

 any district — and employing the knowledge gained there- 

 from by progressive study upon what would seem a more 

 rational plan than the large army of the public interested in 

 wild flowers usually adopts. Such a plan must not in any 

 way be supposed to supersede the regular course of the 

 schools, but it may notwithstanding, it is hoped, in many 

 ways prove suggestive even there. 



I. Systematic Botany (Preliminary Work). 



Commencing work when wild flowers are in bloom, or 

 when plant-life is most active, between March and September, ' 

 the initial study of plants may be divided into three heads ; 



(a) Observation in the field. 



(b) Collection, drying, mounting, preserving of material 



for future reference. 



(c) Systematic survey work, or elementary ecology. 



(a) Observatio7i in the Field. 

 There are few instruments needed or little apparatus 

 required for this purpose. The beginner should, however, 



* Really work may be done all the year round, as trees, for example, 

 may be usefully studied in winter. 



