132 STARLIGHT AND SUNSHINE. 
of flowers, quite distinct from all the other food plants, and new 
to me. I simply noted it as an exception, and lowered my but- 
terfly a peg in my esteem. Not until years later, in the more 
serious pursuit of botanical study, did I dis- 
cover what a rare lesson in botany the As- 
terias had wasted upon me; that the little 
unknown plant was in truth a distinct um- 
belwort like the rest—the water-pennywort. 
In this plant we have an example which 
none but a careful botanist would 
identify as belonging to this fam- 
ily, the habit being entirely ex- 
ceptional, the leaf totally dis- 
similar to any other species, 
having more the resem- 
blance, indeed, to a mallow, 
or geranium, or 7rop@olum, 
and bearing a flower and 
seed so peculiar and incon- 
spicuous that only a 
keen, analytic eye could 
trace their botanical 
characters. 
Thus we have 
cited two prime au- 
thorities on Urticacee 
and Uméellifere. In the 
lead of the little white but- 
, terfly of our gardens (P2e- 
vis oleracea) we may be 
introduced to an entirely 
new tribe of vegetation, in- 
dicated by the insects’ spe- 
cific name—the cabbage or potherb butterfly—a member of a 
small tribe of unimpeachable experts on the Mustard family. For 
it matters not whether in the form of candy-tuft or sweet-alyssum, 
