172 FIRST STEPS IN GENERAL KNOWLEDGE. 



LAUREL tribes ; and, in the latter, many valuable 

 species bearing camphor, or yielding spices ; for 

 instance, cinnamon and cassia." 



Mary remembered that a fine piece of lace 

 bark in the cabinet was described as being the 

 inner-bark of a tree * of the Mezereum tribe ; but 

 she was very sorry to hear that this beautiful sub- 

 stance was formerly twisted and knotted into whips 

 for the slave-drivers. 



Her father remarked, that the next tribe to be 

 noticed was so important, that it required their 

 best attention, containing, as it did, the great host 

 of LEGUMINOUS plants. 



" And what are they ? and why have they such 

 a hard name ?" asked Mary. 



" Their name is given on account of the form of 

 the seed-vessel, which is universally a legume ; and 

 if you are still at a loss to know what I mean by 

 that term, you must think of the pod of a pea or 

 bean, for they are both legumes." 



" And they both have the same shaped flower," 

 said Mary, " for last summer mamma told me to 

 find as many different blossoms as I could of a 

 particular shape, which she called butterfly-shaped ; 



* Lay<>Ma lintearia. 



