172 PROSERPINA. 



on the l qui vive.' " But nothing of the difference between 

 them, except something about 'stipules,' of which "it is im- 

 portant to observe that the leaves should be taken from the 

 middle of the stem those above and below being variable." 



I observe, however, that Mr. Grindon has arrranged his 

 violets under the letter A, and his pansies under the letter 

 B, and that something may be really made out of him, with 

 an hour or two's work. I am content, however, at present, 

 with his simplifying assurance that of violet and pansy to- 

 gether, " six species grow wild in Britain or, as some be- 

 lieve, only four while the analysts run the number up to 

 fifteen." 



15. Next I try Loudon's Cyclopaedia, which, through all its 

 700 pages, is equally silent on the business ; and next, Mr. 

 Baxter's ' British Flowering Plants,' in the index of which I 

 find neither Pansy nor Heartsease, and only the ' Calathian ' 

 Violet, (where on earth is Calathia ?) which proves, on turning 

 it up, to be a Gentian. 



16. At last, I take my Figuier, (but what should I do if I 

 only knew English ?) and find this much of clue to the mat- 

 ter : 



"Qu'est ce que c'est que la Pensee? Cette jolie plante ap- 

 partient aussi au genre Viola, mais a un section de ce genre. 

 En effet, dans les Pensees, les petales superieurs et lateraux 

 sont diriges en haut, 1'inf erieur seul est dirige en bas : et de 

 plus, le stigmate est urceole, globuleux." 



And farther, this general description of the whole violet 

 tribe, which I translate, that we may have its full value : 



" The violet is a plant without a stem (tige), (see vol. i., 

 p. 108,) whose height does not surpass one or two deci- 

 metres. Its leaves, radical, or carried on stolons, (vol. i., p. 

 Ill,) are sharp, or oval, crenulate, or heart-shape. Its stipules 

 are oval-acuminate, or lanceolate. Its flowers, of sweet scent, 

 of a dark violet or a reddish blue, are carried each on a slen- 

 der peduncle, which bends down at the summit. Such is, 

 for the botanist, the Violet, of which the poets would give as- 

 suredly another description." 



17. Perhaps ; or even the painters ! or even an ordinary 



