THE HEATH. Ill 



he is acquainted, may present itself, disclosing an 

 abundantly fruitful subject for contemplation, or 

 he may descry some peculiarity, the object and 

 end of which eludes his most diligent scrutiny. 

 Still his inquiry is not unprofitable, for his failure 

 assures him of the infinite inferiority of man to 

 his Maker, and teaches him to be humble-minded 

 and reverent. If he can perceive nothing remark- 

 able beyond general symmetry, (and this at least 

 is perceptible in every vegetable production,) he 

 can yet admire and adore the goodness of God, in 

 clothing the earth with so many and various tokens 

 of His presence. And, finally, if his " new 

 plant " seem inconspicuous, insignificant, and 

 valueless, he may con in every stem, leaf, and 

 flower, the lesson which his Saviour has appointed 

 to be learnt, that if God so protect and nourish 

 an unprofitable weed, much more will He protect 

 man whom He created in His own image. 



No one, I believe, has attempted to assign any 

 reason why the plants which I have described, and 

 many others belonging to the same tribe, should 

 be furnished with flowers resembling insects ; but, 

 if the inquiry is likely to be profitable to me, whe- 

 ther I succeed in my attempt to solve the ques- 

 tion, or whether I fail, surely no one has any right 

 to laugh at me because I feel a pleasure when a 

 new inducement to search is presented to me. I 

 would strongly recommend you, then, not to be 

 deterred from the study of Botany, or of any 

 other branch of Natural History which you are 

 inclined to pursue, by any sly allusions made to 

 persons " who will walk for hours over heaths 

 and bogs searching for useless weeds," or by any 

 questions as to " What is the use of Botany ?" 



