in the Pursuit of Natural History. 401 



coast from Margate to the Reculvers is particularly rich in 

 marine ^41gae. I have found there many of our rarer species. 

 Then Brighton, Hastings, Tunbridge Wells, Twickenham, 

 Boxhill, are all places of public resort, and all abound with 

 curiosities. As to Boxhill, it is a botanic garden of itself. In 

 regard to the grasses, the mosses, and the lichens, those men 

 who collect such materials for the birdstuffers, and who travel 

 to all parts, will suffer any one to inspect their baskets. 



The above remarks may be applied to other parts of natural 

 history as well as to botany. As to the insects, they will, of 

 course, be found upon the plants which afford them food. In 

 the collection of other specimens, the Londoner also has 

 superior facility. Many curious fish are caught on our coasts, 

 and brought to the London market in the fishermen's boats ; 

 while most of the freshwater fish are plentifully exposed for 

 sale, particularly in those quarters of the town inhabited by 

 the Jews, who, at certain seasons of the year, eat scarcely any 

 other animal food. The fishing-boats, with lobsters from the 

 eastern coast, with crabs from Cornwall, and with oysters 

 from the Nore, bring with them many zoophytes, Serpyllse, 

 and other parasitic genera. As to the birds and small ani- 

 mals, they are brought to Leadenhall and Newgate markets 

 purposely for stuffing, and are sold at about the following 

 prices : a heron, about 2s. ; common owl, Is. 6d. ; squirrel, 

 Is. ; ruff, Is. ; gulls, Is. 6d. ; hawks, 9d. ; small birds, 3d. or 

 Id. Chalk fossils may be procured cheaply at North Fleet ; 

 crag fossils at the Isle of Sheppey ; others at Mussel Hill, 

 Woolwich, and Charlton, &c. 



Thus I have run through the chief heads of my subject, 

 and I flatter myself in some degree proved that the negligence 

 of natural history does not depend so much upon want of op- 

 portunity as upon want of inclination. The causes of this 

 apathy I will consider at some future period. That it does 

 exist, every naturalist has reason to lament. Instead of meet- 

 ing in his rambles persons following similar pursuits, and 

 feeling for them that certain degree of friendship which 

 unity of amusement always produces, he cannot even get a 

 mite to his collection from his best friends. Shells they will 

 collect because they look pretty ; but if he beg for plants from 

 a distant part, the reply he gets upon their return is, " Oh, I 

 did not see any thing worth bringing you. The sea-weeds 

 are so wet and dirty that they would have spoiled my things ; 

 and as to plants, there was nothing but a few ugly weeds ; 

 but I did not forget you :" and forthwith appears a nosegay of 

 full-blown double paeonies or dahlias. I once asked a young 

 lady to bring me some Salicornia from Stroud, where it is 



