314 - Transactions.— Botany. 
will be found elegantly evolving their delicate new circinnate fronds,—the 
consummate grace and beauty of which no pen can adequately describe; 
while at the second, their mature fronds will generally be found loaded with 
fruit, all curiously and variously yet methodically arranged, according to 
their several natural genera. At the same time, I should observe, this 
natural evolution, perennial growing, and display, is, in some damp and 
suitable woods and spots, almost ever recurring. 
And just as it is often with us in towns on especial occasions of meeting, 
—in the grave senate and in religious assemblies, as well as in the lighter 
ones of the concert, the ballroom, and the theatre,—the accessories, the 
environment, when in good taste and keeping, add much grace to the scene, 
the place, and the proceedings,—so it is at those two natural seasons I 
have mentioned. Nature must be seen in her various dresses, as well as in 
her different moods, to be fully appreciated. I well know that the mind 
only sees what the mind brings; or, in other words, it is the feeling that 
teaches or evokes the true seeing; for, whoever possesses the heart to feel 
will also have the eye to see. Bryant, an American poet, has a beautiful 
and truthful sentence (among many others) in the opening of his poem 
Thanatopsis, highly appropriate here—one that I have often thought on 
and repeated* (solus) : 
* To him who, in the love of Nature, holds 
Communion with her visible forms, she speaks 
A various language." 
I trust, however, to point out to you in a few short imperfect sentences, & 
little of what there—in those woods, in that great temple of Nature, and in 
that loved spot in particular of which I have spoken—are the principal and 
more striking botanical aids, and charms and draperies, pona uii to and 
surrounding that lovely natural fernery. 
First, then, I should tell you there is a large open space in the forest, of 
an oblong or an irregular oval shape, sheltered from all high winds; the 
centre of this oval is pretty clear of trees, save two or three large and 
* I may be permitted to make a brief allusion to my own invariable mode of acting 
on revisiting those grand old woods, where fancy leads me to imagine that the trees and 
plants, ferns, mosses, and flowers both recognize and smilingly welcome me. Although in 
my saying this I lay myself open to be laughed at rather than to be followed, ** wearing 
my heart upon my sleeve for daws to peck at,” I take off my hat and salute them feelingly, 
aud so again on leaving them for the last time. I also take care not wantonly to break 
off or pull up to cast aside any specimens, and always tread carefully among the lovely 
ferns, mosses, etc. Feelings of a similar nature must have possessed the ancient Greeks, 
as well as the ancient New Zealanders, who always made a deprecatory speech, addressed 
to the guardians (or genius loci) of those grand old unfrequented woods, whenever they 
entered them to fell a tree for a canoe or any particular purpose. 
