July 4, 1884.] 



♦ KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



11 



a further step in the same dii-ection, under a sliglit dis- 

 guise. We noticed that the earliest monocotyledons, such 

 as the alismas, had many carpels in every flower, each con- 

 taining one seed. In the simpler lilies, such as the tulip 

 and fiitillary, the number of carpels was reduced to three 

 (united in a single capsule), while, by way of compensation, 

 the seeds in each cell were increased to several. But in the 

 asparagus, the improved mode of dispersion by the aid of 

 birds enables the plant still further to simplify its plan by 

 reducing the number of seeds in each cell to one. It thus 

 effects the greatest possible saving both in fertilisation and 

 in dispersion of seeds. 



The butcher's broom is a still more singular modification 

 of the lily type, in which the foliar functions are performed 

 by flattened, leaf-like branches, exactly simulating true 

 leaves. It stands alone among Britisli monocotyledons in 

 attaining a shrubby, woody, tree-like habit. The branches 

 are so extremely like leaves in outward appearance that 

 their true nature can only be discovered by reasoning and 

 analogy. Most of them bear on their under surface (or 

 rather on the upper side, which is so twisted as to turn 



Fig. 2. — Ruscus Acnleatus. 



downward) a single small, whitish lily flower, having six 

 distinct perianth pieces, and either three stamens or a three- 

 celled ovary, for the division of the sexes is here almost 

 complete, though a few hermaphrodite blossoms occasionally 

 occur. If you look very closely, however, you will see that 

 each flower is borne on a small pedicel, united along 

 its whole length with the leaf-like branch (well shown 

 at b in the accompanying woodcut), and that a very 

 tiny scale or bract lies under every blossom. Similar 

 very small scales, the last relics of the true leaves, now 

 abortive, are found beneath the leaf-like branches. The 

 flowers and fruit seem accordingly to grow out of the middle 

 of a leaf, a peculiarity which gives butcher's broom a very 

 strange and uncanny appearance. In the immature ovary 



there are two ovules in each cell, but, as the fruit ripens, 

 one in each cell always becomes abortive, so that at most 

 there are but three seeds in the berry. More often, how- 

 ever, only two perfect seeds are developed, and it is not 

 uncommon to find berries with only one ; so that butcher's 

 broom, in fact, carries all the tendencies of the asparagus 

 just one stage further. The berries are bright red, and very 

 attractive to birds, but the seeds are excessively hard and 

 indigestible. Butcher's broom is a glossy evergreen, and 

 the leaf-like branches are stirt' and prickly, effectually de- 

 terring cattle from browzing oft' its tempting foliage. 



CONCEIT (FOR SELF AND FAMILY). 



By Eich.\rd a. Proctor. 



MY friend Mr. Foster has touched on the thought — a 

 sound and suggestive one — that what is called 

 patriotism is often only a wider development of selfishness. 

 The least cultured among men are personally selfish, family- 

 selfishness is less contemptible but yet contemptible enough, 

 and the selfishness of so-called patriotism is by comparison, 

 but by comparison only, almost respectable. (I say so-called 

 patriotism, for real patriotism is as distinct from the quality 

 in question as just self-regard is from pure selfishness.) 



But may we not in like manner recognise in false pa- 

 triotism somethiog akin rather to self-conceit, and conceit 

 of family, than to selfishness of the personal or of the- 

 family kind 1 And may we not also distinguish between 

 self-conceit and self-knowledge, precisely as we distinguish 

 between selfishness and due self-regard t 



Self-conceit is so obviously a fault of the uncultured and 

 ill-developed mind that it is hardly necessary to dwell on 

 the evidence of inferiority which it attbrds. This is- 

 curiously shown by the way in which this quality is 

 manifested in children. Almost all children are more or 

 less conceited, — generally more, — and grow out of their con- 

 ceit (if it is in them to develope higher things) as they get 

 older, just as they grow out of the monkeyhood of earlj- 

 infaucy (often a very pretty monkeyhood) and the savagery 

 of later childhood. Of course, many remain self- conceited 

 to youth and manhood, or through life. Our less-developed 

 classes are as inherently self-conceited through life as al) 

 or nearly all men are in early childhood. That supreme 

 self-conceit presented in Tennyson's fine picture of the- 

 Northern Farmer, will be found, by any one who takes the 

 trouble to search for it, in ninety-nine out of a hundred of' 

 our peasantry and men of purely agricultural life, even 

 when the age supposed to be full of wisdom and experience 

 has been reached. It seems incredible, but talk to men of 

 the class to which Tennyson's " Northern Farmer " be- 

 longed and you will find many who doubt (at the bottom of 

 their minds) whether Godamoighty quite knows their iuU 

 value in the world. " Does Godamoighty knaw what a's^ 

 doing a taakin o' me ? " asks the old pagan, and we smile at 

 his amazing self-conceit ; yet it is common enough, and even 

 outside those classes whose pursuits involve little calculated 

 to raise the mind's level or to widen the ideas. 



Family conceit is less obviously a sign of incomplete 

 development ; yet there can be little mistake about its real 

 meaning when we rightly apprehend its nature. The child 

 shows family conceit a little later than self-conceit, but the 

 quality it, essentially one belonging to childhood either of 

 the individual or of the race. The Northern Farmer^ 

 though he had not passed much beyond the stage of self- 

 conceit (" See bow quolity smoiles when they sees me a 

 passin' by "), had some family conceit too, if we fully 

 understand his reference to "Jones, as never mended a 



