LETTERS ON BOTANY, 



LETTER I. 



INTRODUCTORY REMARKS FUNDAMENTAL TERMS — 



THE CROWFOOT TRIBE THE POPPY TRIBE. 



(Plate I.) 



You ask me how your children are to gain a know- 

 ledofe of Botany, and whether the difficulties which 

 are said to accompany the study of this branch of 

 science, cannot, by some little contrivance, be either 

 removed altogether, or very much diminished. — 

 Allow me, in answer to this question, to repeat a 

 fable which I remember to have read in some French 

 author. 



A lady, observing some ants travelling across a 

 table, dropped a lump of sugar in the midst of them ; 

 but, to her surprise, although ants are noted sugar- 

 eaters, they all retreated in terror from the spot, nor 

 could anv of them afterwards find courage to return 

 to examine the object of their dread ; on the con- 

 trary, they chose another track, and carefully avoided 

 that which would have proved a treasure had they 

 known its value. Struck by the occurrence, the lady 



B 



