122 
NATURE NOTES 
done that on several former occasions, and I have thought that 
perhaps to-night I might most usefully occupy your attention 
by endeavouring to say something that might possibly lead to 
the stopping of the destruction of flowers in the neighbourhood 
of London which, if not checked, will lead ere long to the dis- 
appearance of many of our charming and most beautiful wild 
flowers. Of course in our Society animals are more generally 
interesting, but you will agree with me that the vegetable 
kingdom is an important part of the domain presided over by 
the Selborne Society, and it has been suggested to me whether 
it was not possible for Parliament to do something to provide 
for the protection of wild flowers as it has done to protect 
birds. I have never been able to see any way by which any- 
thing important could be done by law to protect the wild flowers 
which add beauty to our woods and fields, though I am far 
from saying nothing could be done, and indeed I would be glad 
to receive any practical suggestion, and I would do all I could to 
carry it into effect. But more could be done to create better 
taste and better feeling for the beautiful flowers which add so 
much to the attractiveness of the country. One way of doing 
that is by cultivating interest in that most attractive field of 
study. 
Many people seem to consider that while plants no doubt 
add greatly to the beauty and attractiveness of a country, they 
are, in themselves, of little interest. I am often told that botany 
is a dry science. No science, however, can be dry — certainly 
not botany. Some botanical books, no doubt, may be. Technical 
terms, descriptions of structure, discussions on nomenclature 
are important and necessary, but they are interesting only to 
specialists and may well be left to them. But the habits of 
plants, their mode of life, their adaptation to their surroundings 
must surely be interesting to any intelligent person who looks at 
them. Why, for instance, are some flowers green, others white, 
yellow, red or blue ? Why are some open, some tubular, and 
others closed ? Why do some open in the day and others by 
night ? Why do some flowers sleep ? What regulates the 
endless variety in the forms of leaves, fruits and seeds ? 
It is astonishing how little many people, even among those 
who live in the country, know about our commonest trees and 
shrubs. Many do not seem to know that all trees have flowers. 
This is no doubt because in so many of them — oaks, elms, beech, 
ash, and others— they are small and green. Indeed, speaking 
generally, we may say that when the pollen is carried from one 
flower to another by the wind the flowers are small and green. 
In such cases, however, an immense quantity of pollen is wasted. 
Everyone must have noticed the great clouds of pollen produced 
by Scotch firs. On the contrary, when it is carried by insects 
much economy is effected. In such cases it is an advantage 
that flowers should be of a different colour from the leaves, 
because it renders them more conspicuous to the insects. The 
