stamens, four in number (3), rise to the top of the hood. Two of these organs in labiate flowers generally are almost invariably longer than the other two, and hence is derived a valuable distinctive mark of this "order" of plants. Rising into the open part of the flower, along with the stamens may be found the "style" cleft at the top. Next examine the green "calyx," or flower-cup, of the dead-nettle (2)

it will be found, like the corolla, irregular, and enclosing the four-lobed seedvessel which lies at its base. The above are instances of the distinctive marks selected by botanists to distinguish plants from one another, and, common weed as the one chosen for description may be, it is a good example of the order of plants to which it belongs. It does not, however, display one very common pro. perty of labiate plants, the essential oil, which in the mints, lavender, &c. &c. renders them so useful to man. Our February wild flowers are not, it is true, numerous; but, as we have just seen, much may be learned from them; it will be well for the novice in botanical matters to learn from them all he can, before he is overwhelmed with the profusion of the summer months, now fast coming on,

119. Blossoms of common Deadnettle, showing the labiate corolla -4, the calyx-2, the stamens, two long and two short-3.

"The bloom is in the bud, and the bud is on the bough,
And earth is grown an emerald and heaven a sapphire now;
The snowdrop and the daisy wild are laughing everywhere,
And the balmy breath of opening buds steals softly through the air."

"What promise in the verdant plains-what hope is on the wing, A blessing on thy balmy breath, thou merry month of Spring.'

"THE merry month of Spring" is rather a time of promise to the expectant botanist, than of actual floral abundance. There are, it is true, days of bright and often of warm sunshine, when the fields are "emerald" with the fresh green of the newlyspringing grass, when the clearness of the " sapphire" sky tells of approaching summer days, and when "the busy hum of insect crowds, all full of life and joy," speaks of animated nature reviving from the torpidity of winter; but there are also many days when cold winds and sleety showers forbid the ramble, and check the incipient vegetation. Nevertheless, the list of plants which now blossom has considerably increased since last month, and we

st haste, ere we are overwhelmed with the bounties of Flora's cornucopia, to complete the remarks on

COLLECTING AND PRESERVING.

It must here be impressed upon the mind of the reader, that to collect plants and to collect flowers are two very different things. It is surprising, even in the collections of those who have made considerable advance in botanical lore, to see how often

miserable fragments of plants are presented as specimens. There is, perhaps, a single flower, with one or at most two leaves attached, but guiltless of anything like stem, root, stem and root-leaves, seed-vessels, &c., which go to make up a perfect plant. Such specimens are nearly useless, and as it is almost waste of time preserving them at all, those who de sire to have a really interesting collection, should from the commer.cement, seek both to avoid the error pointed out, and to get the plants on which they bestow their trouble as perfect of their kind as possible. Thus, unless actually prevented by its size, the entire plant should be taken-dug up from the roots. In the case of plants which are rarely met with, the botanist must often content himself with the specimen as he finds it; but amid the commouer species, he ought to pick and choose, to select an example as perfect in every way as he can; the leaves should be well-grown, and not marred by insects or other causes; and, if possible, the same plant should have buds, full-grown flowers, and formed seed-vessels. One of the greatest points of interest, and indeed of use to the mind, connected with the study of plants, is the detection and comparison of those minute differences in which the distinction of species are founded; and, obviously, this cannot be done by means of half-perfect specimens. For instance, one species of ranunculus is specially characterized by possessing a bulbous root; how wanting in character must a specimen of the species be which has been simply pulled from the ground, the bulb being left behind! Such examples might be greatly multiplied. Neither is it the root alone which is