PREFACE II 



following pa^cs will turn a coiintr)' walk from a 

 useless lounge into a iivcl)' object-lesson, delight- 

 ful, from be^imiinj^ to end, alike to teacher and 

 taught. Nor will I apolo<^ise for the simple 

 ianguajrc which I have used, for ni}' design has 

 been, while taking advantage of all the latest dis- 

 coveries of science, to use no terms and intro- 

 duce no ideas which cannot be made intelligible 

 to a thoughtful child. In the hoi)c tiiat c\cn so 

 humble an effort as this ma}- not be without a 

 use in enlarging and quickening a sense of that 

 infinite harmony which runs through every part 

 of the Creator's marvellous plan of nature, I put 

 forth, not without a full sense of its inadequacy, 

 this little volume. It has, at an)' rate, given me 

 an excuse for endless hours (^f pleasure within 

 the precincts of my own woods and garden. 



I have to acknowledge great indebtedness to 

 Mr. J. VV. Odell, F.R.H.S., whose wide knowledge 

 of botanical science has been of essential service 

 in ensuring, as far as possible, the accuracy ol 

 my statements. 



ELIZ.\ liRIC.HTWEX. 



