carpels, the elevated receptacle, and even the fine texture and glossy surface of the petals. Nothing was different but the colour; and yet it was the want of the bright golden yellow of the common buttercup, that prevented me from even thinking of that genus, when pondering on the name of my water-plant. I should add, that I would not ask any help from Mr. Loudon, but identified my plant myself on my return home; when, by comparing it with the description in Hooker’s British Flora, which happened to be the first botanical work I had at hand, I found it was _Ranunculus aquatilis_, the water crowfoot. In a similar manner my readers may amuse themselves, by identifying the plants they meet with, and they will be surprised to find how easy the task will soon become. I must warn them, however, that they will not find double flowers quite so easy to recognise as single ones. In double flowers the stamens and carpels are entirely or partially changed into petals; as may be seen in the florists’ varieties of Ranunculus, in the yellow bachelor’s buttons, which is a variety of the common buttercup, and in the Fair Maid of France, which is a variety of _Ranunculus platanifolius_, a species found wild on the mountains of Germany. THE GENUS FICARIA. Pansies, lilies, kingcups, daisies, Let them live upon their praises; Long as there’s a sun that sets, Primroses will have their glory; Long as there are violets, They will have a place in story. There’s a flower that shall be mine, ’Tis the little Celandine. Ill befall the yellow flowers, Children of the flaring hours, Buttercups that will be seen, Whether we will see or no; Others, too, of lofty mien, They have done as worldlings do, Stolen praise that should be thine, Little humble Celandine.