72 THE ELM. 



on the part of plants than emigration has been with 

 our own species. The colonising of new lands in 

 ancient times and in modern ones has in every age 

 had its silent but energetic parallel among plants. 

 Such migration is still in progress, and perhaps 

 more vigorously than ever before : it would seem 

 that whatever man does, the unconscious portion of 

 living nature does likewise that whichever of the 

 two takes the initiative, the other cannot choose but 

 follow suit. 



Numbers of our common English weeds have, by 

 the accidents of commerce, been conveyed of late 

 years to distant countries, and in several cases have 

 established disastrous empire ; many pretty flowers, 

 on the other hand, have also travelled in the wake of 

 civilization. In certain localities in our own island, 

 where once were only brambles and hedge-nettles, 

 now we see the quaint blossoms of the American 

 touch-me-not, or the golden quadrangles of the 

 evening-primrose. Even in our conservatories there 

 are many similar instances of the wonderful love of 

 travel that pertains to plants. Among the orchids 

 of the tropics frequently springs up that most sweet 

 and tender little trefoil, the sleepy yellow oxalis of 

 the Mauritius ; and in one hothouse, at least, that 

 might be named, comes up every year, unsown and 

 of its own amiable accord, that beautiful blue-spiked 

 G-ymnostachyum which has been dedicated, in its 

 second name, to Mr. Cuming. A large book might 



