16 
was to shades of red; their triumphant colour—their final stage in 
chromatic evolution—is blue.” This ought, at any rate, to make 
it clear to us that flowers are like ourselves—very imperfect; for 
blue flowers are not plentiful. White varieties are numerous. I 
have found the common Bluebell in white, also the Gentian, the 
Primrose, the bush Vetch, several orchids, and others. I have also 
found flowers, chiefly of the buttercup order, more or less double. 
The commonest buttercup of our meadows is Ranunculus bulbosus, 
with generally five petals, but I have found flowers growing in the 
open meadow, some with five petals, some with six, some with 
seven, some with eight, and a few with ten. Only in a few cases 
was it clear that petals were being formed at the expense of 
stamens, for the doubling of a flower is the conversion of stamens 
into petals. In wet seasons, the common White Clover isgiven to a 
singular freak, for, as if to prove that books are right when they 
speak of calyx and corolla leaves, it will turn out sham flowers 
made of green leaves twisted about. I have not yet been there to 
see when any plant of any description has turned into some other 
plant. Amusing as is the thought of such a thing to us, it was 
formerly believed that in bad seasons corn might change its nature 
quickly ; might, that is to say, turn into noxious weeds Evolu- 
tion is nowhere by the side of this. Some time ago a good man 
wanted to find out if I knew a certain plant. His effort to make 
his meaning clear in his complete ignorance of botanical terms was 
very amusing. At last he said ‘‘ Well I did want to know, because 
I believe that on my land the seeds of that plant grew up into 
something else.” This story is only one of a number, but it must 
suffice, except for this: A countryman was looking admiringly at 
some plants which I had found very near his own house, and put 
them into his hand with the question, ‘- Aren’t they lovely?’’ He 
said, ‘* Yes, they be; but them doan’t grow in these parts, do em?” 
«Oh, yes, they do. Most likely you have trodden on such many a 
time.” ‘Well, then,” he said, ‘‘I must a bin about all these 
years wi’ my eyes shut.” How many species of plants grow in 
this neighbourhood ? Have you decided what is the neighbour- 
hood? And what book is to be followed? And what is to be 
called a species? Whether this or that should be called a species 
or something else is not a part of my subject. Specific characters 
are as interesting as they are important, but by no means always 
easy to make out, and intermediate forms are nota help toa 
student, but a perplexity. No one, however, can try to see points 
of agreement or of difference between things, whether plants or 
not, without benefiting by the use of the observant faculty. But 
enough of general observation, for it is time I told you something 
definite about the extent and variety of our flora. It is a matter 
of counting up and arranging under their natural orders our 
