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THE BOTANIC GARDEN. l6l 



determining their affinities; exhibits the actual 

 state of our botanical riches ; and ensures the 

 propagation of the science, by enabling pupils 

 to study the plants in all the stages of their 

 growth, to compare them with each other and 

 with the descriptions in books, and to observe 

 their changes and physiological phenomena, ac- 

 cording to the season, the hour, the intensity of 

 the light, and the state of the atmosphere : in fine 

 it affords the means of gathering seeds without 

 fear of mistake, when the absence of the foliage 

 renders it impossible to distinguish the species 

 of the plant. 



It is not in the season of the lectures only that 

 the botanic garden is frequented by students ; 

 as soon as the snow-drop, galanthus nivalis, and 

 the mizerion, chamce daphnce, announce the re- 

 vival of vegetation, they resort to it, and every 

 day some opening flower attracts their attention. 

 Aided by the lessons of the professor they learn 

 to analyze the organs and distinguish the cha- 

 racters of plants, and thus to recognise in the 

 herbarium those which are not cultivated in the 

 garden : neither dried specimens, nor figures 

 however perfect, can supply the place of living 

 nature. 



There probably exist elsewhere collections 

 of plants as numerous as that of the Museum, 



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