140 BOTANY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 



E. From a couple of days to two or three 

 weeks, depending of course on the moisture they 

 contain. 



L. How should they be fastened on ? 



E. Sewing with a fine needle and thread is 

 perhaps the best plan. Some cut the paper 

 itself and thus form loops, others use glue and 

 paste. To defend the whole against insects, it 

 is well to pass a brush over it dipped in an alco- 

 holic solution of corrosive sublimate, 



L. I noticed in your herbarium that many 

 of the prettiest flowers had lost their color and 

 changed to black. Is it so always ? 



E. Often among the blue, red, and white 

 colors ; yellow, scarlet, and green, are rather 

 more durable. To give you an opportpnity of 

 applying your knowledge, I will pluck this flower 

 and wish you to discover its name by its charac- 

 ters. Dr. Thornton, compares a person engag- 

 ed in ascertaining the name of a plant to one 

 upon a botanical journey, the plant being his 

 directory. If he can read the botanical charac- 

 ters impressed upon it by the hand of nature, 

 he will, by following the system, soon arrive at 

 his journey's end. How many stamens do you 

 here count ? 



