ich
threads I remember no drawing or notice in the botanical books. Figure 1
represents, magnified, a cluster of these leaves, with the germinating
stalk springing from their centre; but my scrawl was tired and careless,
and for once, Mr. Burgess has copied _too_ accurately.

[13] Learn this word, at any rate; and if you know any Greek, learn also
this group of words: "[Greek: hos rhiza en ge dipsosei]," which you may
chance to meet with, and even to think about, some day.

[14] "Duhamel, botanist of the last century, tells us that, wishing to
preserve a field of good land from the roots of an avenue of elms which
were exhausting it, he cut a ditch between the field and avenue to
intercept the roots. But he saw with surprise those of the roots which had
not been cut, go down behind the slope of the ditch to keep out of the
light, go under the ditch, and into the field again." And the Swiss
naturalist Bonnet said wittily, apropos of a wonder of this sort, "that
sometimes it was difficult to distinguish a cat from a rosebush."

[15] As the first great office of the mosses is the gathering of earth, so
that of the grasses is the binding of it. Theirs the Enchanter's toil, not
in vain,--making ropes out of sea-sand.

[16] Drosidae, in our school nomenclature, is the general name, including
the four great tribes, iris, asphodel, amaryllis, and lily. See reason for
this name given in the 'Queen of the Air,' Section II.

[17] The only use of a great part of our existing nomenclature is to enable
one botanist to describe to another a plant which the other has not seen.
When the science becomes approximately perfect, all known plants will be
properly figured, so that nobody need describe them; and unknown plants be
so rare that nobody will care to learn a new and difficult language, in
order to be able to give an account of what in all probability he will
never see.

[18] An excellent book, nevertheless.

[19] Lindley, 'Introduction to Botany,' vol. i., p. 21. The terms "wholly
obsolete," says an authoritative botanic friend. Thank Heaven!

[20] "You should see the girders on under-side of the Victoria Water-lily,
the most wonderful bit of engineering, of the kind, I know
of."--('Botanical friend.')

[21] Roughly, Cyllene 7,700 feet high; Erymanthus 7,000; Maenalus 6,000.

[22] _March 3rd._--We now ascend the roots of the mountain called Kastania,
and begin to pass between it and the mountain of Alonistena, which is on