CLUSTERED BELL-FLOWER. 3 



grand total of three small bells, could really be tbe same 

 thing as the one we have illustrated. 



The clustered bell-flower is a perennial, and throws up 

 one or more stems ; these are erect in general direction, 

 unbranching, angular in cross section, and varying in 

 degrees of smoothness or hairiness. The leaves that spring 

 immediately from the root or the lower part of the stem 

 are borne on long stalks, but these stalks gradually 

 diminish as we advance up the stems, until we find the 

 upper leaves entirely stalkless, and clasping the stem with 

 their bases. The lower leaves are long, narrow, and deeply 

 serrated, while the upper ones are somewhat more heart- 

 shaped, less toothed, but having their margins a good deal 

 waved. The capsule is short and broad, opening by lateral 

 clefts below the segments of the calyx. We are sometimes 

 told by inquirers into the secrets of nature that the bell- 

 shaped flowers furnish a beautiful example of the adaptation 

 of means to ends, the pendent bells turning from the wind 

 and sheltering the organs within them from all external 

 damage. It is always pleasant to endeavour to com- 

 prehend any part of the wonderful scheme of creation, and 

 follow humbly in the steps of the Divine Wisdom, but the 

 clustered bell-flower would seem to show that one must 

 not too hastily indulge in generalities, for its blossoms 

 always stand boldly erect, and seem to need nothing 

 of that protection to which we have referred. 



Besides the four species of campanulas we have figured, 

 we have some few others to which we may take this oppor- 

 tunity of referring. First amongst these stands the giant 

 bell-flower, or C. latifolia, a tall and handsome species, 

 that is more especially found in the Scottish forests and 

 in northern England, but becomes much rarer as we 



