56 PltOSEKPINA. 



when dormant), but just like birds that pass their lives on 

 the surface of the waves though they must breathe in the 

 air. 



And these natant leaves, as they lie on the water sur- 

 face, do not want strong ribs to carry them,* but have 

 very delicate ones beautifully branching into the orbed 

 space, to keep the tissue nice and flat ; while, on the 

 other hand, leaves that really have to grow under water, 

 sacrifice their tissue, and keep only their ribs, like coral 

 animals ; (' Ranunculus heterophyllus,' ' other-leaved Frog- 

 flower,' and its like,) just as, if yon keep your own hands 

 too long in water, they shrivel at the finger-ends. 



26. So that you must not attach any great botanical im- 

 portance to the characters of contrasted aspects in leaves, 

 which I wish you to express by the words ' Apolline ' and 

 6 Arethusan ' ; but their mythic importance is very great, 

 and your careful observance of it will help you completely 

 to understand the beautiful Greek fable of Apollo and 

 Daphne. There are indeed several Daphnes, and the first 

 root of the name is far away in another field of thought 

 altogether, connected with the Gods of Light. But ety- 

 mology, the best of servants, is an unreasonable master ; 

 and Professor Max Mtiller trusts his deep-reaching knowl- 

 edge of the first ideas connected with the names of Athena 



* " You should see the girders on under-side of the Victoria Water- 

 lily, the most wonderful bit of engineering, of the kind, I know of." 

 ( l Botanical friend.') 



