THE JULY PAGEANT. 87 
upon this plant. The favor of Sir Joseph Banks was 
thus obtained for him, and he was welcomed as a regu- 
lar guest at his house during a five months’ stay in 
London, and was soon proposed to the government as 
naturalist of the exploring expedition to New Holland 
under Captain Flinders. His career was thus deter- 
mined; and on his return from Australia the wonderful 
sagacity and insight which he showed in his investiga- 
tions of the rich and peculiar vegetation of that new 
region gave him the eminent position which he retained 
for more than half a century. 
I have found it growing to the height of three or 
four inches on the sandy shore at the upper end of 
Lake Quinsigamond, and in water two feet deep at the 
southern end of the Lake, where the flower-heads, on 
stems of needed length, reach just above the surface, a 
case of adaptation to circumstances that seems to imply 
something more than mere vegetative life. Not far 
away from this sandy shore and in other moist places 
two of the sundews (Drosera rotundifolia, L. and D. 
intermedia, Hayne, var. Americana, DC.) may be found. 
The contrivance by which they catch insects and their 
method of disposing of those that are caught have been 
the subject of much study. 
There are others of the plants of July which, as 
they pass along in an unbroken succession, cannot fail 
to claim for themselves more than a passing notice. 
