I08 WATER-LILIES 



creatures they are. It is no wonder the 

 Egyptians carved pictures of them on their 

 temple walls, painted them on their coffins, 

 covered the dead with wreaths of them, and 

 bore them in their processions, as offerings 

 to the gods. 



GLISTENING WITH BLUE AND GOLD 



The king of all the water-lily tribe is the 

 Zanzibar water-lily (N ymphcea Zanziharien- 

 sis). Its flowers are of the richest royal blue, 

 often ten inches across, and borne eight or 

 ten inches above the water on strong stalks 

 thicker than one's thumb. The broad, blunt 

 petals make a solid cup-shaped ring, sur- 

 rounding a large number of stamens. These 

 last are truly "gleaming with purple and 

 gold" — golden anthers, with carmine purple 

 backs. In the centre of the flower, seen only 

 on its first day of opening, is the cup-shaped 

 golden yellow pistil, an inch in diameter. 

 This lily opens on three, four, or rarely five 

 successive days, from ii A. M. until 5 p. M. 



