UNCLE IN ENGLAND, 225 



stance, an oak raised from English seed, loses 

 its leaves in a St. Helena winter of 68 ; yet it 

 experiences nothing like the difference of tem- 

 perature, which, by analogy, might be supposed 

 to cause that change. 



** It would add to the natural history of 

 vegetation, and improve our knowledge of the 

 geography of plants, were the facts concerning 

 their habits and changes, under different tem- 

 peratures, carefully collected. 55 



2nd. Miss Perceval, with whom I recollect 

 you used to wish me to be acquainted, has 

 come to spend a few weeks here ; and I shall now 

 not only have the pleasure of knowing a person 

 you like, but of taking many a botanising walk 

 with her as the Spring advances. She seems 

 very gentle, and so unwilling to put herself 

 forward, that my uncle is obliged to reproach 

 her for withholding the stores of knowledge 

 which she possesses ; and he generally leads the 

 conversation to such subjects as will make her 

 display them a little, in spite of her diffidence. 



She disclaims all over-modesty, but says that 

 such has been the progress of knowledge within 

 the last ten years, and so greatly has it become 

 diffused through all classes, and particularly 

 amongst females, that she feels that almost 

 everybody knows as much as she does ; besides, 

 she added, " I have lived so completely out of 



