PREFACE WILD FLOWERS 
beside the actual flowers in various parts of the coun- 
try, and in all sorts of weather and conditions. They 
are here told in much the same spirit as they might 
be related to an acquaintance afield. The flowers 
have been arranged in five distinct groups, according 
to colour, as this is, without doubt, the simplest and 
quickest method of arriving at a definite means of 
identification. 
The flowers are divided first, according to colour, 
then, according to natural classification. Since flowers 
are exceedingly variable in colour, and in no case 
constant, it is difficult to arrive at their true colour 
value; and, besides, most persons have their own ideas 
regarding colours. Purple, for instance, ranges from 
lightest to darkest blue, but is more or less generally 
understood to be a reddish blue, and it is largely a 
matter of qualifying its shade. Therefore, the simple 
primary colours have been selected as a basis, and the 
flowers have been arbitrarily divided into Red, Pink, 
Yellow and Orange, Greenish and White and Blue and 
Purple groups. The student is thus enabled to turn 
immediately to the group of any particular flower he 
may desire, according to its dominating colour, with- 
out searching through an indefinite mass of descriptive 
matter. A small magnifying glass will reveal wonders 
as remarkable as those of fairyland. Such a glass, 
together with a few needles and a sharp penknife for 
dissecting the specimens, makes a satisfactory outfit 
for general study. A small note-book for records and 
a tin collecting box are also strongly recommended, 
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