LIFE-HISTORIES OF FAMILIAR PLANTS 111 
Unfortunately, however, as we cannot but think, his chief 
fancy it to have been, and as he claims to trace it in the features 
be Ty & 
lists, taught by experience, had’ learnt caution, and recognized 
that such eae histories’ can sotraig to be no more than 
work of the imagination, we ceretigh ape and even plausible, 
but ses no ae to be se 
omplex and advanced plant structure’; yet bdoulth seem that 
no naturalist or botanist has ever offered a sab ohten as to their 
use or meaning. At last, however, Mr. Ward thinks ne. fess 
caught a aa of their ope They make the leaves 
advanced by ae fanciful speculations such as these, by which 
an explanation can with a little Het ee manifestly be found for 
everythin 
n some cases it is even to be feared that the author's state- 
whom even nowadays there are far too to t rtions 
for facts, instead ing their own eyes to test their correctness 
» lor ce, we are told more than once that in plants 
Whaks the Bieta toes for light and air is keen, the leaves are 
