.in.ii'T.mox 29 



comes as a surprise to the uiK^bservant, and thus, 

 when rightly guided, youn<^ people can hardly 

 fail to love a pursuit that {)r{)mises such endless 

 sources of interest. 



In the chapters that will follow on the subject 

 of jilant life, I do not purpose to write for quite 

 y<nui<; children, as my hoj^e is that older readers 

 will explain what is written, and make it inte- 

 resting to the little ones as they walk in gardens 

 and fields, giving as it were object-lessons on 

 buds, leaves, and flowers, and training young 

 minds to search for themselves into the wonders 

 that lie around them. 



I low much there is to learn about, even in 

 the simplest things, some of the succeeding 

 chapters will endeavour to show, for example: 



How young plants grow out of seeds ; 



Mow tho.se seeds are dispersed ; 



How much is folded up in a bud ; 



How flowers are formed ; 



How the bark splits off different trees. 

 Any one of these subjects would need very 

 careful, jjatient observation trul)- to understand 

 it. 



