G8 ROYAL WATER-LILY. 



profusely. The garden being freely open to the 

 public, one of the great sights of London during the 

 past season has been the Royal Lily, and many have 

 availed themselves of the opportunity thus afforded 

 of seeing a vegetable production, the like of which 

 has never before been equalled by any one of the nu- 

 merous trophies which botanical travellers have cast 

 at the feet of science. Admirable wax models of the 

 flower have also been exhibited in London, and at- 

 tracted considerable attention. 



A botanical friend of ours, writing from London, 

 thus expresses himself, after seeing the plant at 

 Syon House and the Royal Gardens at Kew : " My 

 pen fails me when I attempt to convey an idea of 

 the magnificence of the Victoria. Beautiful as is 

 Nymphsea alba, unfolding her snowy petals on the 

 bosom of our Scottish lakes, she sinks into me- 

 diocrity when compared with this monarch of the 

 waters. Nothing can equal the beauty of this ex- 

 traordinary plant, as seen at Syon House and Kew, 

 surrounded by its lovely associates, NymphaBa den- 

 tata, ccerulea and rubra, Limnocharis Humboldtii, 

 and the majestic Nelumbium speciosum all of which 

 yield the palm of supremacy to their Royal sister. 

 You may think I express my admiration strongly, in 

 speaking of this vegetable wonder; but these expres- 

 sions do not even do it justice. The plant at Syon 

 House, which I have just left, with its noble flower 

 and fifteen gigantic leaves, some of them measuring 



