142 STUDYING NATURE. 



in the course of the year, and naturally, when I am 

 taking walks with them, and we are admiring trees 

 and flowers, or a sweet-voiced bird begins to sing, 

 questions arise about the names of various plants 

 and songsters. I confess I am often surprised to 

 discover the very limited knowledge of elementary 

 natural history or botany that is possessed by 

 young girls who in other branches of study are 

 intelligent and well-informed. It grieves me to 

 think that the instructive book of Nature is thus 

 disregarded, and its lessons left unlearned, by 

 thousands who would be much happier, and have 

 many more resources to fill up leisure moments, 

 if they knew more about the everyday things 

 which surround them in the country. 



Even if it is the lot of many young people to 

 live in towns, still, when they pay visits to their 

 friends at the seaside, or in the country, there 

 are ample opportunities for natural history studies, 

 and by means of books these studies can be 

 carried on when they return home. 



I will try and describe one of the subjects which 

 my young visitors always discover to be full of 

 interest, namely, the study of trees. 



