Almost more than any other flower 

 does the lily depend on the beauty of 

 ifs blossom alone for favour, as the 

 foliage in most varieties is spare and 

 inconspicuous. 



" Of all colours, white is the pre- 

 vailing one; and of white flowers a 

 considerably larger proportion smell 

 sweet than of any other colour, namely 

 14.6 per cent." So says Charles Dar- 

 win, and the reason given is that they 

 may attract the insects, which have so 

 large a work to do in keeping up the 

 species. 



The most brilliant members of this 

 family come from China, Japan, and 

 Burma, and in all there are about two 

 thousand species. There are many 

 pretty names among them, like the 

 Lily-of-the-Incas, a bright flower which 

 makes gay many of the warmer parts 

 of the New World. The Lily-of-the- 

 Palace is another native of America, 

 74 



