WHITE AND GREENISH WILD FLOWERS 
that every flower possesses a soul, and that the Water 
Lily sits in solemn judgment at the gates of Paradise, 
demanding of each blossom a strict accounting as to 
the disposition made of its odour. Along some parts 
of the Rhine the natives chant magic verses while 
gathering Water Lilies, which, they believe, will keep 
away witches. A pretty Lenape Indian legend records 
the origin of the flower in a falling star that upon strik- 
ing the water changed into a Water Lily. The Water 
Nymph gets its name from Nympha, a nature god- 
dess of Greek and Roman mythology. This wonder- 
ful family includes the gigantic Royal Water Lily, 
Victoria regia, of Brazil, which has the largest flower 
in the world, and was named by Dr. Lindley in honour 
of Queen Victoria in 1837. Some of these flowers 
measure a foot and a half in diameter, and their mon- 
strous leaves are often six or seven feet broad and are 
capable of bearing the weight of a man standing 
thereon. Thoreau regarded the White Water Lily as 
“the queen of river flowers.” He might have gone 
further and said, “queen of our waters,” for few 
flowers are held in higher esteem. They seem to lend 
a sort of lasting enchantment to every outing, brief 
or extended, and almost everybody can associate one 
or more pleasant memories with them. How.I have 
enjoyed the precious moments on several occasions 
when it was my privilege to watch the deer feeding 
on the “lily pads” near our Adirondack camp! No 
other experience in outdoor life can compare favourably 
with it: the Water Lilies studding the thickly padded 
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