r side of the body and swallowing them. Why they
do so is not known.

[Illustration: CONVOLVULUS.]

"What is this pretty pink flower," asked May, "with long trailing
stems and leaves broadly arrow-shaped? From its resemblance to that
beautiful convolvulus in the garden I should think it must be a
smaller kind of that plant." You are quite right, it is a convolvulus,
and its English name of Field Bindweed is expressive of the clinging
habits of this plant; see how tightly it has wrapped itself round
this tall blade of grass. Although a very pretty plant; with its pink
flowers and darker plaits, its arrow-shaped leaves, and its fragrant
smell, it is a troublesome weed to the farmer. Then there is the
greater bindweed, with its large bell-blossoms sometimes white as
snow, sometimes striped with pink, sometimes almost rose-colour, so
often seen growing profusely over the tallest bushes. Both kinds of
bindweed, however, are mischievous weeds; the large kind you may find
in flower as late as September. Some of the bindweed family, I ought
to say, are valuable in medicine. There is for instance the
_Convolvulus jalapa_ and _Convolvulus scammonia_, both of which are
extensively used in medicine; the former a South American plant and
the latter a Syrian one. Then there is the so-called sweet-potato,
which is the root of _Convolvulus batatas_ used in China, Japan, and
other tropical countries as a wholesome food. Strange it seems that
plants so closely related should differ so much in their properties.

The accompanying vignette may be supposed to represent Master Willy
watching the movements of a snail.

[Illustration]

WALK VIII.

JULY.

Let us have another stroll on the moors. We pass over a small brook on
our way, and of course stop on the bridge and gaze into the little
rivulet. What do I see about four yards off in the shade? A number of
small dark-coloured patches which I recognise at once as one of our
most beautiful fresh-water algae. We will gather some from the bottom.
There! the little tufts are attached to the upper sides of stones.
When taken out of the water, the plant looks and feels like a mass of
very dark jelly. I will float a piece out in this bottle of water. Did
you ever see anything more beautiful? It consists of a number of
delicate branches, each arranged in a bead-like row, and from a
certain resemblance which these beaded rows bear to frog-spawn, as
well as from their jelly-like consis