THE LEAST YELLOW WATER-LILY- 

 NUPHAR PUMILA. 



THE various Water-Lilies which have occupied our 

 attention in the preceding pages are all distinguished 

 from the common races of plants by their gigantic 

 size, the gorgeous colouring of their blossoms, and 

 their general nobility of aspect, and may well be 

 ranked among the most imposing objects of the 

 vegetable creation. We now come to detail the 

 history of a species which wants all the superior 

 elegance and beauty that so pre-eminently distin- 

 guish its more noble kindred. 



However different it may be with the ordinary 

 observer, the scientific botanist does not recognise 

 elegance of form and richness of colouring as the 

 only criteria by which to judge of the beauty and 

 interest of a plant; many peculiarities of structure 

 and habit he investigates, which could not enter 

 into the calculations of the non-botanical admirer; 

 and, accordingly, we find that the Least Water-Lily, 

 humble though it be, and faint the colouring of its 



