THE CURRANT TRIBE. 215 



" I shall not dislike them so much now I know 

 they are useful, and bear nice fruit," said Mary. 



" I have just said that in their properties some 

 of these plants closely resemble currants ; there- 

 fore you will expect to hear that the CURRANT tribe 

 is not far off, however different its outward appear- 

 ance may be." 



" Currants and gooseberries are of the same 

 family," said Henry. " Mamma says that they 

 never thrive except in cool countries like our 

 own, but that the English often try to make 

 them grow in hot countries, for the pleasure 

 of eating the fruits they had at home. Mamma 

 saw a number of little gooseberry and currant 

 trees planted close together, that they might be 

 put under air-tight glass cases, to be sent to the 

 West Indies, but she did not expect they would 

 live very long there. The pretty flowering cur- 

 rants, that bear such a quantity of pink blossoms, in 

 the shrubbery, are related to our favourite fruits." 



" Plants of this tribe are very abundant in North 

 America," said his father ; " and they even occur 

 among the mountains of northern India, where the 

 climate is comparatively cool. Neighbouring tribes 

 are the SYRINGAS, and some curious tropical plants 



