ch. iv] REMINISCENCES. 71 



Of his personal appearance (in these days of multiplied 

 photographs) it is hardly necessary to say much. He was 

 about six feet in height, but scarcely looked so tall, as he 

 stooped a good deal ; in later days he yielded to the stoop ; 

 but I can remember seeing him long ago swinging back his 

 arms to open out his chest, and holding himself upright 

 with a jerk. He gave one the idea that he had been active 

 rather than strong ; his shoulders were not broad for his 

 height, though certainly not narrow. As a young man he 

 must have had much endurance, for on one of the shore ex- 

 cursions from the Beagle, when all were suffering from want 

 of water, he was one of the two who were better able than 

 the rest to struggle on in search of it. As a bov he was 

 active, and could jump a bar placed at the height of the 

 " Adam's apple " in his neck. 



He walked with a swinging action, using a stick heavily 

 shod with iron, which he struck loudly against the ground, 

 producing as he went round the " Sand- walk " at Down, a 

 rhythmical click which is with all of us a very distinct re- 

 membrance. As he returned from the midday walk, often 

 carrying the waterproof or cloak which had proved too hot, 

 one could see that the swinging step was kept up by some- 

 thing of an effort. Indoors his step was often slow and 

 laboured, and as he went upstairs in the afternoon he might 

 be heard mounting the stairs with a heavy footfall, as if 

 each step were an effort. When interested in his work he 

 moved about quickly and easily enough, and often in the 

 midst of dictating he went eagerly into the hall to get a 

 pinch of snuff, leaving the study door open, and calling out 

 the last words of his sentence as he left the room. 



In spite of his activity, he had, I think, no natural grace 

 or neatness of movement. He was awkward with his hands, 

 and was unable to draw at all well.* This he always re- 

 gretted, and he frequently urged the paramount necessity 

 to a young naturalist of making himself a good draughts- 

 man. 



He could dissect well under the simple microscope, but 

 I think it was by dint of his great patience and carefulness. 

 It was characteristic of him that he thought any little bit 

 of skilful dissection something almost superhuman. He 

 used to speak with admiration of the skill with which he 



* The figure in Insectivorous Plants representing the aggregated cell-con- 

 tents was drawn by him. 



