Our poets may chant the praises of our modest, simple nights, of our calm, hushed heavens, bright only with the beauty of the silver moon, which pours its pale lustre with a winning charm on town and tree, on wood and lake. They may sing, as Barry Cornwall sings—

In some such ecstatic strains as this we may laud our moonlit nights, acknowledging in our heart of hearts the power of their silent, subtle loveliness; but how shall we compare them with nights made wonderful by a blending of golden and emerald fires? by the shifting coruscations of stars of many colours?

But here we must conclude a dissertation which threatens to become a rhapsody. It is difficult, however, to treat of such a theme, and to follow up all its strange and startling suggestions, in sober prose.

The Alpine Flora.

The Alpine Flora, of which in a preceding section we have given a very imperfect sketch, has been examined with loving minuteness by Messrs Elijah Walton and T. G. Bonney; and other united results of pen and pencil have been placed before the public in a handsome volume entitled "Flowers from the Upper Alps, with Glimpses of their Homes." A somewhat similar subject has been treated with much delicacy of feeling and fervour of description by the Rev. Hugh Macmillan, in his "Holidays in High Lands."

Among the Alpine plants sketched and described by Messrs Walton and Bonney are the beautiful Lychnis, a close relative of our corn-cockle and garden pink, and so called, says Gerard, the quaint old botanist, because it is a "light-giving flower." He also met with immense breadths of violet pansies,—"that's for thoughts," says Ophelia,—covering the sloping pasture-grounds of the Col d'Autune, and blending with rose and star gentians, soldanellas, primulas, and anemones. The pink blossoms and bare stem of the house leek is found "among the blocks tumbled down from the ice-streams, and its sparkling clusters seem to glow with a richer hue on the stony ruin which has shattered the pine, and crushed the life even out of the rhododendron."

In the Glarus Alps the odorous crimson tufts of the Kammblume are discovered in a profusion which rejoices and astonishes the traveller. The yellow-blossomed ragwort spreads its stem over the rugged mountain-sides in every Alpine district. But next in fame and beauty to the gentians,—which is, par excellence, the mountain-flower,—must be placed the edelwein, celebrated by Kobele and other famous poets, and growing in almost every part of the Alps from Dauphiné to the Dolomites.

For further details respecting a most interesting branch of botany, we refer the reader to the two works already named, and he will find that the barrenest, stoniest slope of the Alpine rocks, the bleak recesses where the ice river has its origin, and the rugged ledge where the pitiless winds seem to expend their wildest fury, have their objects of grace and beauty,—their gentle and ever-welcome evidence of the Divine love, the Divine wisdom, and the Divine power, as exercised for the delight of man in the remotest wildernesses of the earth. The love of God is everywhere.

INDEX.

———◇———

• "Academy," the, quoted, 369-371.
• Achtysia, the genus, characteristics of, 353.
• Æshna grandis, described, 178;
• forcipata, 178, 179.
• Agaricus Cæsareus, the, description of, 333, 334.
• Agarics, varieties of, characterised, 335, 336.
• Agarions, the, general characteristics of their form, 79.
• Agarion virgo, the, described, 179.
• Alps, the, an excursion among, 256-260.
• Alpine snail, the, remarkable transparency of, 71.
• Amanita muscaria, the, described, 328-330;
• its poisonous properties, 331-333.
• Amanita solitarius, the, description of, 331.
• Amphibia, the, number of species of, 361, 362.
• Anaximander, the author of the "Uranometria," his enumeration of the stars, 25.
• Ancients, the, their notion of the earth's shape, 104-107.
• Anemones, the, blossoming time of, 157, 158;
• their sensitiveness to atmospheric changes, 158;
• varieties of, 159;
• references to, by Drayton, 159-161.
• Animal life, distribution of, 357, 366.
• Antipodes, the, existence of, believed in by the ancients, 107;
• proved by Columbus, 108, 109.
• Arabs of the desert, the, their nomenclature for the stars, 22, 23.
• Aratus, the author of "Phenomena," quoted, 22.
• Arctic vole, the, discovery of, by M. Hugi, 50, 51;
• described by its discoverer, 51;
• examined and named by M. Martins, 51, 52.
• Arcturus, the star, its colour, 23.
• Argesilaus, the author of the "Uranometria," his enumeration of the stars, 25.
• Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, his theory of the globe's sphericity, 106;
• on the mole's want of sight, 267.
• Articulata, the, number of the species of, 362, 363.
• Arum, the, described, 161, 162;
• its root, 163;
• its alimentary properties, 163;
• its various species, 164, 165.
• Asterisms, origin of, 14.
• Atmosphere, the, illumination of, 313.
• Autumn, aspect of nature in, 366, 367.
• Bailey, P. J., the poet, quoted, 3.
• Balfour, Professor J. H., quoted, 208;
• on the diffusion of plants, 321-324.
• Bearded pink. See Sweet William.
• Birds, number of the species of, 359, 360.
• Black Hellebore, the, described, 168.
• Boehm, M. Joseph, his theory of the rise of sap, 136, 137.
• Boletus, the, of the Romans, 334.
• Boraginaceæ, the, characteristics of, 239-241.
• Bosc, the French naturalist, his reference to the alimentary properties of the Arum, 163;
• his career sketched, 163.
• Boyle, Robert, on the contemplation of the universe, 101, 102.
• Bradley, the astronomer, his discovery of the nutation of the earth, 12.
• Browning, Mrs E. B., her poetry characterised, 337;
• her "Aurora Leigh" quoted, 337, 338.
• Bug, the harvest, description of, 349-352.
• Burton, of the "Anatomy of Melancholy," quoted, 240.
• Buttercup, the, its bulbous roots, 166;
• its stimulating properties, 167.
• Byron, Lord, the poet, quoted, 101.
• Cæsalpin, the botanist, on the Solanum nigrum, 86.
• Callisto, the legend of, 9.
• Calypso, the island of, referred to, 19.
• Calyx, the, of flowers, parts of, 211.
• Campbell, Thomas, the poet, quoted, 236, 237.
• Candolle, De, his opinions on the nature of red snow, 41, 42.
• Cardinal points of the compass, how to ascertain our position in reference to the, 7, 8;
• process of determination of the, 17-19.
• Carew, Thomas, the poet, quoted, 100.
• Carnations, characterised by Jeremy Taylor and Drayton, 371;
• described, 372;
• varieties of, 373.
• Carnivora, the, distribution of, 358.
• Cassini, Jacques, his theory of the earth's form, 111, 112.
• Castle pink, the, described, 375, 376.
• Castelnau, the Count of, quoted, 363, 364.
• Cereals, the, range of, 323, 324.
• Cetacea, the, distribution of, 358;
• described, 208-215;
• curious forms of, 220-223.
• Chaldeans, the, their conception of the earth's shape, 105.
• Chamois, the, described, 56, 57.
• Chaucer, the poet, his description of the daisy quoted, 138, 140.
• Cheese mite, the, where found, 354;
• its ugly form, 355, 356.
• Chomel, the botanist, on the medical properties of the daisy, 146, 147.
• Chlorophyll, experiments in, 368, 369.
• Chrysomela salicinia, the, described, 72.
• Clare, John, the Northamptonshire poet, on the dragon-fly, 175.
• Clematis, the, described, 168;
• celebrated by Keats, 168.
• Columbus, Christopher, his demonstration of the existence of the Antipodes, 108, 109.
• Compass, the, points of, 7.
• Constellations, table of the number of stars in the northern, southern, and zodiacal, 27, 28.
• Convallaria majalis. See Lily of the Valley.
• Convolvulus, the, described, 383, 384.
• Copernicus, the astronomer, his theory of the earth's rotundity, 110;
• antiquity of his so-called theory, 118, 119.
• Cornwall, Barry, the poet, quoted, 229.
• Corolla, the, of flowers, 214, 215, 223;
• varieties of, 225-229.
• Crabbe, George, the poet, quotation from, 288.
• Cynodon dactylon, the, described, 91-93.
• Daisy, the, described by Chaucer, 138, 140;
• by Cowper, 139;
• by James Montgomery and William Browne, 140;
• its vegetation, 140, 141;
• described, 142-145;
• referred to by the ancients, 145;
• and by the botanists of the Middle Ages, 146;
• characterised by Wepfer, Tournefort, and Garidel, 147;
• its medical properties, 146, 147;
• George Withers' tribute to, 148;
• celebrated by Wordsworth, 149, 150;
• by Shakespeare and Milton, 151, 152.
• Darwin, Erasmus, the poet, on the pimpernel, 261.
• David's Chariot, position of, 8, 9.
• Day and night, varying length of, 198, 199.
• Delphos, the "navel of the world," 107.
• Democritus, the philosopher, on the Milky Way, 25.
• Dent de Jaman, the, described, 257.
• Desor, M., the Swiss naturalist, his discovery of the snow-flea, 72, 73.
• Desoria saltans, the, described, 73;
• glacialis, description of, 74.
• Dial, floral, referred to and exemplified, 217, 218.
• Diodorus, the historian, quoted, 93, 94.
• Dioscorides, the author of "Materia Medica," his reference to Mercury's plant, 81;
• on the Agrostis, 95.
• Diurnal movement of the stars, origin of its discovery, 16.
• Dobell, Sydney, the poet, quoted, 129, 131.
• Dogma, folly of, 292.
• Dog Mercury, the, its power of propagation, 77, 78;
• described by Mr Sowerby, 78;
• how distinguished from weeds, 79;
• its diœcious character, 80;
• mentioned by Pliny the naturalist, 80, 81;
• and by Dioscorides, 81;
• its disappearance before the power of snow, 81.
• Dog-star, the. See Sirius.
• Dog's-tooth grass, the, characteristics of, features of, described, 91-93;
• its emollient properties, 96.
• Draco, the constellation of, known to the ancients, 22.
• Dragon-fly, the, described by the poets, 174, 175;
• its destructive properties, 175;
• the female, 182, 183;
• its metamorphosis, 183-187.
• Drayton, Michael, the poet, his description of a spring-time posy, 159-161;
• on carnations, 371.
• Drummond, William, the poet, quoted, 399, 400.
• Dutrochet, the philosopher, his theory of the rise of sap, 136.
• Eagle, the, its affection for the mountains, 57;
• its flight described, 58-62;
• its nest, 62;
• the various species of, 62, 63.
• Earth, the, shape of, as conceived by Homer and Hesiod, 103, 104;
• by Seneca, 104;
• by the Chaldeans, Anaximander, Anaximenes, and Zenophanes, 105;
• by Plato, 105, 106;
• by Eudoxes and Aristotle, 106;
• by the Greeks and Hebrews, 107;
• a problem, 398, 399.
• Earwig, the, form of, described, 278-280.
• Edelwein, the, in the Alps, description of, 418.
• Flammarion, M., on coloured stars, 414, 415.
• Flos Adonis, the, legend connected with, 169.
• Forficulæ, the, group of, characteristics of, 286.
• Forget-me-not, the, celebrated by Campbell the poet, 236, 237;
• described by Miss Pratt, 238;
• analysis of its form, 238, 239;
• legends connected with, 239, 240.
• Friendship, the test of, 141.
• Frigid zones, the, position of, 45, 46;
• the lizards of, described, 70, 71.
• Galileo, his discoveries in gravitation, 110, 111.
• Ganges, the banks of, described, 248.
• Garidel, the botanist, on the medical properties of the daisy, 147.
• Garden-lily, the, described, 248.
• Garden-nightshade, the, its extreme fertility, 82;
• description of, 83;
• by Tournefort, 84, 85, 89;
• its various forms, 85;
• its medical properties, 85-87.
• Genesis, the book of, quoted, 191.
• Gentiana lutea, the, its medical properties, 254.
• Gentiana campestris, described, 256, 257.
• Gentianaceæ, the family of, its characteristics described, 252-255;
• a Lilliputian specimen of, 255.
• Gentians, the, of the Alps, description of, 10.
• Gerard, the botanist, quoted, 418.
• Gesner, Conrad, the botanist, on the tulip, 154.
• Goethe, J. Wolfgang, the poet, quoted, 191.
• Gold-crowned wren, the, description of, 64;
• its partiality to the society of other birds, 64, 65;
• its gymnastic accomplishments, 65;
• its cosmopolitan character, 65, 66;
• its smallness of size, 66.
• Graetz's balls, origin of, stated, 55, 56.
• Gramineæ, the, general characteristics of, 88-90;
• how described by the naturalists of the Middle Ages, 95, 96.
• Gramen, the, Pliny the historian on, 94, 95.
• Grasshopper, the, described by Leigh Hunt, 274.
• Great Bear, the, origin of the story of, 9, 10;
• Homer's reference to, 10.
• Grew, the botanist, his theory of the rise of sap, 124;
• on the calyx of flowers, 211.
• Hay, aromatic, an instance of, 258.
• Heat, the action of, described, 313-317.
• Heavens, the, movement in, 115, 116.
• Hebrews, the, their conception of the earth's supports in space, 107.
• Hedgerows, the, wild climbing plants of, 382, 383.
• Hepatica, the, described, 168, 169.
• Herbs, the food of the primitive Egyptians, 93, 94.
• Hipparchus, the astronomer, his discovery of the precession of the equinoxes, 116;
• his astronomical researches, 291, 292.
• Homer, the poet, his reference to the Great Bear, 10, 19;
• and to Orion, 15;
• his scientific knowledge, 19;
• his conception of the earth's shape, 103, 104;
• quoted, 210.
• Honeycomb, the, of the bee, described, 85.
• Honeysuckle, the, celebrated by Scott, Burns, and Drayton, 380.
• Hood, Thomas, the poet, quoted, 190.
• Horace, the poet, quoted, 103.
• House leek, the, in the Alps, described, 418.
• Houston, Professor, his table of the distribution of wheat and barley, 324, 325.
• Howitt, Mary, the poetess, on the dragon-fly, 175.
• Hugi, M., the Swiss naturalist, his discovery of the Arctic vole, 49-51.
• Humanity, the future of, 393.
• Human power, limitation of, 394.
• Hunt, Leigh, his poem on the grasshopper, quoted, 274.
• Huygens, the savant, his researches into the laws of gravitation, 111.
• Immortality, an emblem of, in the metamorphosis of the caterpillar, 402, 403.
• Infusoria, the, number of, 365.
• Inglis, Henry, the traveller, quoted, 142.
• Insects, the various orders of, enumerated, 280;
• the number of species of, 363, 364.
• Jonson, Ben, the dramatist, quoted, 207, 248, 400.
• Kane, Dr Elisha, the American explorer, his Arctic experiences, 39.
• Keats, the poet, quoted, 29, 168, 190, 244, 298.
• Kepler, the astronomer, his adoption of the theory of the earth's rotundity, 110.
• Lactantius, on the non-existence of the Antipodes, 108.
• La Hire, the French botanist, his theory of the rise of sap, 134.
• Landscape, a wintry, described, 5.
• Leaf-wasp, the, its mode of depositing its larvæ, 71, 72.
• Le Monnier, the French astronomer, on the theory of the nutation of the earth, 123.
• Lesser celandine, the, celebrated by Wordsworth, 166;
• described, 166.
• Libellula cancellata, described, 177.
• Libellula grandis, described, 178.
• Libellulæ, the family of, its characteristics, 174-183. See Dragon-fly.
• Libellulites, the family of, its general characteristics, 179, 180.
• Liberty, a plea for intellectual, 407.
• Life, origin of, speculated upon, 390, 391.
• Light, the nature of, 192, 193;
• physiological facts concerning, 194-196;
• the theory of, 197, 198;
• chemical action of, 312, 313.
• Liliaceæ, the family of, its characteristics, 249, 250.
• Lily of the field, the, of the Gospels, described, 242, 243.
• Lily of the valley, the, described by Shakespeare, 242;
• its native countries, 242.
• Little Bear, the, position of, 11, 12;
• distinct from the Great Bear, 12;
• first recognised by the Phœnicians, 20.
• Little Vulcan, the, butterfly, described by Agassiz, 71.
• Longfellow, the poet, his description of Orion, 13;
• quoted, 128, 129.
• Lychnis, the, described, 418.
• Macgillivray, the naturalist, quoted, 59, 60.
• Macmillan, Rev. Hugh, quoted, 42-44.
• Malpighi, the botanist, his theory of the rise of sap, 135.
• Mammalia, the, summarised, 360.
• Manilius, the poet, his references to the Great Bear, quoted, 20, 21.
• Mant, Bishop, quoted, 63, 64.
• Mariotte, the botanist, his theory of the rise of sap, 135.
• Marmot, the, described, 53;
• its habits, 53, 54;
• the various species of, 55.
• Mars, the planet, referred to, 301, 302.
• Marsupialia, the, distribution of, 358.
• Martins, M., the naturalist, his examination and description of the Arctic vole, 51, 52.
• Marvell, Andrew, the poet, quoted, 217.
• Matter, forms of living, 388, 389.
• Mercurialis annua. See Dog Mercury.
• Metamorphosis, the function of, in nature, 401, 402.
• Milton, his allusion to the daisy, quoted, 151, 152.
• Mole, the, peculiar movements of, 265, 266;
• described, 267;
• Aristotle and Pliny on its want of sight, 267;
• its hands and fingers, 268;
• its favourite haunts, 269;
• marvellous properties ascribed to, 270, 271.
• Mole-cricket, the, its form and habits described, 273-278.
• Mollusca, the, number of species of, 362.
• Moon, influence of, on the weather, 30, 31.
• Moore, Thomas, the poet, his characterisation of the dragon-fly, 174;
• his allusion to the water-lily of the East, 246.
• Mountain pink, the, described, 374, 375.
• Mushroom, the, how to be distinguished, 327, 328;
• some varieties of, described, 329-337.
• Mutability, the lesson of, 316.
• Myosotis palustris. See Forget-me-not.
• Nature, beauty and suggestiveness of, 339;
• our imperfect knowledge of, 341, 342;
• the infinite diversity of, 365.
• Nebria escheri described, 72;
• chevrierii, 72.
• Newman, Mr, author of "History of British Insects," quoted, 285.
• Newton, Sir Isaac, his theories as to the form of the earth, 111, 112.
• Nuphar lutea, the, described, 245.
• Nutation of the earth, the, explained, 120, 121, 123;
• its discovery, 121, 122.
• Observer, the, of nature, 4, 5.
• Œnothera biennis, described, 216, 218, 219.
• Orion, the occultation of, its position in the heavens, 14;
• its place in the old mythology, 15.
• Pachydermata, the, distribution of, 359.
• Parry, Captain, on the nature of red snow, 41.
• Perianth, the, of flowers, 208.
• Perrault, the botanist, his theory of the rise of sap, 135.
• Petals, the, of flowers, described, 109, 224-227.
• Phœnicians, the, their knowledge of the Great and Little Bears, 20, 21.
• Physalis alkekengi, described, 222.
• Pilgran, the meteorologist, his researches into the nature of climate, 31.
• Pimpernel, the, all about, 260-264.
• Pinks, the various kinds of, described, 374.
• Planets, the, whether inhabited, 395.
• Plants, discovery of the sex of, 207;
• appropriate to certain soils, 320, 321;
• diffusion of, 321-325;
• classification of, 343-345.
• Plato, the philosopher, his notion of the form of the globe, 105, 106.
• Pliny, the naturalist, on numbering the stars, 25;
• his reference to red snow, 39;
• and to the mercurialis, 80, 81;
• on the gramen, 94, 95;
• his reference to the daisy, 146;
• on the mole, 270, 271.
• Plutarch, the historian, on the probability of the existence of the antipodes, 108.
• Podura plumbea, the, described, 74, 75.
• Polar Star, the, its position in the heavens, 18.
• Poles, day at the, 200, 201.
• Polygala vulgaris, the, described, 213.
• Pointers, constellation of the, referred to, 22.
• Pratt, Miss, on the forget-me-not, 238.
• Proctor, R. A., on solar phenomena, 410, 411.
• Protococcus nivalis, the plant described, 42-44.
• Prunella, the, or "self-heal," described, 230-233.
• Ptolemæus, his enumeration of the constellations, 24;
• his acquaintance with the so-called Copernican theory, 119;
• astronomical theories of, 297, 298.
• Pythagoras, the philosopher, his familiarity with the so-called Copernican theory, 119.
• Quadrumana, the, distribution of, 357, 358.
• Ramond, the naturalist, his researches in the natural history of red snow, 40, 41.
• Ranunculaceæ, the, general characteristics of, 166-169.
• Ray, the botanist, on the daisy, 146.
• Red-billed crow, the, its appearance described, 68, 69;
• its habits, 69;
• the history of one which had been tamed, 69, 70.
• Red snow, known to Pliny, the naturalist, 39;
• first described scientifically by De Saussure, 39, 40;
• discovered by Ramond in the Pyrenees, 40;
• by Captain Ross in Baffin's Bay, 41;
• described by Sir John Ross, 41;
• a fungus (?) 41.
• Reptiles, the, distribution of, 361.
• Rhizomes, or trailing roots, referred to, 88, 89.
• Rhodius, Apollonius, the poet, quoted, 20.
• Rodentia, the, distribution of, 358.
• Rogers, the poet, quoted, 403.
• Ruminantia, the, how distributed, 358.
• Salamanca, the council of, referred to, 108.
• Sap, the circulation of, 132;
• its ascent and descent, 133;
• theories concerning the rise of, 134-137.
• Saussure, Benedict de, the naturalist, his observations on red snow, 39, 40.
• Science, unselfishness of, 76;
• the peculiar characteristics of, 133.
• Scutellariæ, the, characteristics of, indicated, 235, 236.
• Seasons, the, changes of, 204, 205.
• Seneca, the philosopher, his conception of the earth's support in space, 104.
• Shakespeare, his allusions to the daisy, quoted, 150, 151;
• the lily described by, 242.
• Shelley, the poet, quoted, 152.
• Sirius, the star, its colour, 26;
• deleterious influence ascribed to, by the Greeks, 23, 24.
• Snow, the, preservation of the germ of life in seeds and roots, 32;
• its composition, 32, 33;
• the reason of its preservative qualities, 34;
• in the form of crystals, 34; a reflector of light, 37;
• its utility to the agriculturist, 37;
• in the polar regions, 38, 39;
• red snow, which see.
• Snow-bunting, the, description of, 66, 67;
• its favourite localities, 67, 68.
• Snow, perpetual, the line of, where situated, 47;
• its variations, 48.
• Snow-flea, the, its discovery narrated, 72, 73;
• its generic characters, 74.
• Soapwort, the, described, 378;
• its juice, 378, 379.
• Soil, effect of temperature upon, 317;
• cultivation of, 318-320;
• plants appropriate to different kinds of, 320, 321.
• Solanum nigrum, the, described, 82-85.
• Solar corona, the, nature of, 409-412.
• Solar eclipse of 1870, the, considered, 407-412.
• Solstices, the summer and winter, 45.
• Somerville, Mrs, quoted, 289.
• Sowerby, Mr, on the Mercurialis annua, 78.
• Species, number of vegetable, 339, 340, 347, 348;
• number of animal, 356.
• Spencer, Edmund, the poet, quoted, 2.
• Spring, the awakening of, described, 127-131.
• Staphylium olens, described, 271-273.
• Stars, the, their infinite number, 4;
• their diurnal movement, 15-17;
• coloured, 412-417.
• Stellaria, the, characteristics of, enumerated, 378.
• Strickland, Miss, on the legend of the forget-me-not, 240.
• Struve, Otto, his computation of the number of the stars, 25, 26.
• Sun, the, movements of, in the heavens, 292-296;
• length of its radius, 296, 297.
• Sweetbriar, the, celebrated by Spenser, Milton, Scott, and Drayton, 380;
• by Shakespeare, 381.
• Taylor, Jeremy, on carnations, 371.
• Telescopes, importance of their invention to science, 26.
• Temperate zones, the, reference to, 45.
• Temperature, effect of, on soil, 317.
• Tennyson, Alfred, the poet, quoted, 6, 7, 57, 183, 247, 319.
• Theophrastus, an ancient writer, on the Agrostis, 95.
• Thomson, James, the poet, quoted, 32, 100.
• Thought, freedom of, asserted, 311;
• indestructibility of, 392.
• Toaldo, the Italian meteorologist, his researches into the phenomena of climate, 31.
• Tournefort, the naturalist, his description of the Solanum nigrum, 84, 85, 87;
• quoted, 96, 234;
• on the medical properties of the daisy, 147.
• Tragus, the botanist, his account of the Solanum nigrum, 86.
• Triticum repens, the, described, 93.
• Tschudi, M., the naturalist, his description of a red-billed crow, quoted, 69, 70.
• Tulip, the, described, 152, 153;
• its introduction into Europe, 153;
• its cultivation, 154, 155.
• Twilight, phenomena of, 205.
• Vertebrata, the, orders of, 362.
• Vole, the Arctic. See Arctic vole.
• Voltaire, François Arouet, his popularisation of the Newtonian philosophy, 113.
• Walton, Isaak, his eulogium on the strawberry, 244.
• Water, the crystallisation of, instanced and described, 36, 37.
• Water-lily, the, described by Keats and Mrs Hemans, 244;
• by Wordsworth, 245;
• analysis of its form, 245;
• of the East, described, 246.
• Water-ranunculus, the, description of, 167.
• Winters, instances of some severe, 29, 30.
• Winter-time, appropriate for the observation of celestial phenomena, 3;
• the passing away of, and merging into spring, 96, 97.
• Withering, the botanist, on the Solanum nigrum, 86.
• Wither, George, the poet, his tribute to the daisy, quoted, 148.
• Wood-louse, the, its characteristics enumerated, 169-172;
• another species of, 173.
• Wordsworth, William, the poet, his celebration of the daisy, quoted, 149, 150;
• his poem on the lesser celandine, 166;
• his reference to the lily of the valley, 245;
• quoted, 375.
• Wren, the, described by Bishop Mant, 63, 64;
• its habits stated, 64.
• Yellow water-lily, the, description of, 245.
• Zodiac, the, constellations of, 114, 115.
• Zootoca pyrrhogastra, the, described, 70.