PROSERPINA. 



INTRODUCTION. 



BRANT WOOD, Hth March, 1874. 



YESTERDAY evening I was looking over the first book in 

 which I studied Botany, Curtis's Magazine, published in 

 1795 at. No. 3, St. George's Crescent. Blackf riars Koad, and 

 sold by the principal booksellers in Great Britain and Ire- 

 land. Its plates are excellent, so that I am always glad 

 to find in it the picture of a flower I know. And I came 

 yesterday upon what I suppose to be a variety of a favourite 

 flower of mine, called, in Curtis, "the St. Bruno's Lily." 



I am obliged to say " what I suppose to be a variety," 

 because my pet lily is branched,* while this is drawn as 

 unbranched, and especially stated to be so. And the page 

 of text, in which this statement is made, is so character- 

 istic of botanical books, and botanical science, not to say 

 all science as hitherto taught for the blessing of mankind ; 



* At least, it throws off its flowers on each side in a bewilderingly 

 pretty way ; a real lily can't branch, I believe : but, if not, what is the 

 ase of the botanical books saying " on an unbranched stem " ? 



