Life of Dr. Jenner. 145 



search. He made some curious experiments in horticulture 

 (p. 76). He was devoted to thestudy of mineralogy (p. 59), 

 and spent a great deal of time in investigating the organic 

 remains witli which the oolitic and lias formations of the dis- 

 tricts in his neighbourhood abound. Occasionally he courted 

 the Muses ; and some very amusing specimens of his poetical 

 talents are afforded us at pp. 2.5 and 542. His greatest en- 

 joyment, however, was in the study of Ornithology, which 

 he pursued with uncommon industry, and no small share of 

 success. John Hunter urged him to investigate the habits 

 of the cuckoo ; and in the year 1788, his aamirable paper 

 on that subject was presented to the Royal Society. He 

 clearly proved the fact of \\\q fostering of the young bird, 

 and threw out the ingenious suggestion, that it was a pro- 

 vision of nature rendered necessary by the short residence 

 of the parent bird in this country. This essay was favour- 

 ably received by the scientific world, and procured him, the 

 following year, admission into the Royal Society. The 

 migration of birds occupied many of his leisure hours. In 

 his early years, at the instigation of John Hunter, he made 

 a variety of observations on the hedgehog, some account of 

 which still exists ; but, alas ! not one of his replies to his 

 patron's numerous letters, and still more numerous queries 

 are given ; and from what is stated at p. 99, there is too 

 much reason to fear they have all perished. 



In 1788, Dr. Jenner married Miss Catharine Kingscote, 

 a lady of elegant manners and strong understanding, to 

 whom he was greatly attached. In domestic life he was 

 distinguished by an amiable disposition, which rendered him 

 an universal favourite. He was the founder and principal 

 supporter of two societies, where he and his professional 

 brethren discussed medical subjects, and cultivated each 

 other's acquaintance. These he called, quaintly enough, 

 the Convivio-Medical, and the Medico-Convivial Societies. 

 To the former, which was held at Alveston, a village about 

 ten miles from Bristol, we shall have occasion to refer 

 liereafter. The following account of Jenner's appearance 

 is given by one of his earliest friends. " When I hrst saw 

 him, it was on Frampton Green. I was somewhat his junior 

 in years, and had heard so much of Mr. Jenner of Berkeley, 

 that I had no small curiosity to see him. He was dressed 

 in a blue coat and yellow buttons, buckskins, well -polished 

 jockey-boots, with handsome silver spurs, and he carried 

 a smart whip with a silver handle. His hair, after the 

 fashion of the times, was done up in a club, and he wore 



JAN.— MARCH, 1827. L 



