v LETTERS TO MARCO 31 



of light, and that thus the orange crocus, 

 which absorbs most of the actinic ray, is 

 somewhat retarded in its growth, at the same 

 time that the white, blue, and violet blooms, 

 which reflect these rays, attain a freer and 

 larger, though a more slender growth. Of 

 course this is only a theory of mine, and I 

 intend looking out for examples amongst 

 flowers with the different colours in the 

 variety of their blooms. At present I can 

 only think of two others besides the crocus, 

 namely, yellow pansies, which generally run 

 smaller than the deep violet, and the pinky- 

 white blossoms of Alstrcemerias, which are 

 with me always larger than the tawny or 

 orange-coloured ones. 



A very ghastly fate sometimes overtakes 

 the crocus. On a bright sunny day, when the 

 blooms are all spread open like stars, it occa- 

 sionally happens that a snow-shower comes 

 on suddenly in the afternoon before the poor 

 things can close up, and numbers receive a 

 plug of snow into their hearts, which, as night 



