Flowers and Gardens 



the mirror-like aspect. Lastly, as to 

 the difference of colour, you will see 

 that the skin you have stripped off bears 

 the colour of the petal with it. It is 

 transparent — glances in the sun like gold- 

 leaf : and you may observe that the 

 colouring matter is much less in quantity 

 in the part which corresponds with the 

 pearly surface. In the Purple Crocus 

 the colour in this part of the skin is 

 absolutely wanting, and whatever faint 

 colour may seem present there, shines 

 through from the outer surface. We 

 need not stay longer to notice the eleva- 

 tions and depressions of the mirror-like 

 portion, or the extreme thinness and in- 

 curving of the margin of the petal here, 

 which all tend in various ways to in- 

 crease the effect. 



But has it been worth our while to 

 give this minute attention to the colour 

 of a flower.^ Unquestionably yes, for it 

 is only by this close, poring attention 

 that we shall ever understand its beauty. 

 Look at it till you have drunk in all 

 its loveliness, or learned the impossi- 

 bility of doing so ; turn it into different 

 positions, view it by transmitted light, — 

 that is, with the sun-rays coming through 

 it, — and then again by reflected light, or 



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