40 A TOUK ROUND MY GABDEN. 



" The chalice monocephalous; the anthers are reniform and 

 unilocular; the pistil is composed of several carpels, often 

 verticillated; the fruits form a plurilocular capsule, which 

 opens in as many valves as there are monosperm and poly- 

 sperm cells " 



Yon stop the savant. " I beg your pardon, learned sir; it 

 is of the marsh-mallow you are speaking, or, at least, you 

 said just the same of the marsh-mallow but an instant ago." 



" Marsh-mallow or baobab," replies the savant, " it is, for 

 us, absolutely the same thing; we do not observe those 

 differences which strike the vulgar, of which the dignity of 

 science wiU not allow us to take notice." 



Savants acknowledge neither size, odour, colour, nor 

 flavour : with them the plum-tree is a cherry-tree, the apricot 

 is a plum : these very men, who, in other cases, give ten 

 names to the same plant, call all these prunus ; the almond- 

 tree and the peach-tree have but one name between them — 

 amt/gdaliis. 



And then you know what charming names the prfetty 

 flowers of our fields have received, no one knows whence, 

 except from their own sweet nature : they know nothing of 

 paquerettes (Easter daisy); marguerites (the prettiest name 

 for daisies) ; vergiss-meinnioht (forget-me-not). Marguerites 

 and paquerettes are asters; and the pretty forget-me-not, 

 with all its delightful associations, is loaded with the name of 

 myosotis occipioides. Can you imagine what a rage you 

 would have been in, my dear friend, if some godfather had 

 insisted upon calling your pretty little Mathilde, Petronella, 

 or Rosalba ? 



The rain has ceased, the sun has dispersed the clouds, and 

 makes the drops on the leaves glitter like so many diamonds; 

 the drooping branches recover their natural position; a linnet 

 sings in a hawthorn. The savants may settle their disputes 

 by themselves. 



