XU 
have been carefully engraved after my own drawings, 
which drawings were invariably made from Nature. 
I have never been guilty of curving a stem on my 
paper, which I found growing straight in the field, or 
of magnifying a flower for the sake of gay efiect. My 
models always appear to me too perfect in their beauty 
for me to dream of doing aught but attempt to copy, 
faithfully as I can, their various forms and colours: 
invention here must be positive error, and I anxiously 
strive to avoid that fault, however I may sin against 
the laws of picturesque efiect or elegant arrangement. 
That much more might be said on a subject so 
fertile as that implied in the title of my work, I am 
well aware; that many would have performed my as¬ 
sumed task far better than I have done, is also most 
true :—still, I trust to the good feeling of my readers 
to appreciate my desire to amuse, and, if possible, to 
benefit them; the evidence of my failure or success 
remains to be given. 
