20 



leav^es,and tlieflower itself a small branch specially modified for the purpose 

 of reproduction. In this Fuchsia flower there is one ovary and one tube, 

 but instead of the four sepals presenting their usual appearance two of 

 them are foliaceous leaves ; this is, of course, abnormal ; but the chief 

 peculiarities are in the next verticil of leaves which forms the corolla, 

 for two of these are changed into small, but perfectly formed, and 

 pedicelled buds ; and it is carried further than this, for even inside this 

 there is another large bud which represents the pistil. 



I fear I am trespassing on your patience, but there is yet one subject 

 more upon which 1 should like to say a few words. It is with reference to 

 the use of making collections, and I take much pleasure in specially 

 recommending a little work by Dr. Taylor, the Editor of Science 

 Gossip, " On the Collection and Pi-eservation of Natural History 

 Objects." 



The great end of all scientific study should be the development of a 

 love for the objects investigated, and a thorough mastery of all that can be 

 learnt concerning them. This can only be done by collecting specimens 

 and preserving them in the most convenient manner for reference 

 and one fault which must be guarded against is the amassing of a large 

 number of specimens just for the mere sake of having them. Nor is 

 much gained even if a collector is well acquainted with the Latin and 

 English names of Natural History objects ; there are many people who can 

 give the names at first sight of every specimen in a lai'ge collection, and yet 

 who know nothing of the history of one of them. It would be,by far, better 

 to know well the history of one specimen in a large collection than to know 

 all by name. Let the learning of the names be the alphabet of science, 

 a means by which a further knowledge can be acquired, and let every 

 specimen represent so much information, to which the very mention of 

 its name will conjure up a crowd of associations relative to the study 

 by which you became acquainted with it. The use of a collection 

 should be, in general terms, a means of providing material for study at 

 any convenient moment. 



In building up a collection always try to secure perfect and 

 characteristic specimens, so that any student refei'ring to your collection 

 can learn as much as possible about each species. It will sometimes be 

 necessary to get specimens from naturalists living at a distanee, and this 



