2 PJROSEKPINA. 



and of the difficulties thereby accompanying its commtini 

 cation, that I extract the page entire, printing it, opposite, 

 as nearly as possible in facsimile. 



Now you observe, in this instructive page, that you have 

 in the first place, nine names given you for one flower ; 

 and that among these nine names, you are not even at lib- 

 erty to make your choice, because the united authority of 

 Haller and Miller may be considered as an accurate bal- 

 ance to the single authority of Linnaeus ; and you ought 

 therefore for the present to remain, yourself, balanced be- 

 tween the sides. You may be farther embarrassed by find- 

 ing that the Anthericum of Savoy is only described as 

 growing in Switzerland. And farther still, by finding 

 that Mr. Miller describes two varieties of i-t, which differ 

 only in size, while you are left to conjecture whether the 

 one here figured is the larger or smaller ; and how great 

 the difference is. 



Farther, If you wish to know anything of the habits of 

 the plant, as well as its nine names, you are informed that 

 it grows both at the bottoms of the mountains, and the 

 tops; and that, with us, it flowers in May and June, but 

 you are not told when, in its native country. 



The four lines of the last clause but one, may indeed 

 be useful to gardeners ; but although I know my good 

 father and mother did the best they could for me in buy- 

 ing this beautiful book ; and though the admirable plates 

 of it did their work, and taught me much, I cannot won- 

 der that neither my infantine nor boyish mind was irresist 



