1909] Dr. Fletcher as a Naturalist. 213 



anything America had produced. I set him down as a product 

 of the English school system because the gentlemen I met in 

 England were all interested in natural history. He was a man 

 who studied botany, ornithology, entomology, geology and all 

 the other branches of natural science. Dr. Fletcher was a man, 

 a true naturalist, he was a man on all lines, if he went out with 

 me he studied botany, if he went out with Mr. Harrington he 

 was poking around the bark of trees discussing insects which 

 to me were a blank. When we w-ent to collect clam-shells 

 down the Ottawa River he could study the water-plants with 

 me and the shells with Mr. Latchford. The reason he was first 

 in this, first in that, and first in everything, was because 

 he was always busy, always at work, and as soon as he learned 

 a thing he was ready to tell it. Other men would tell us nothing ; 

 he would tell us something in a simple, quiet, easy way, and we 

 went home and absorbed it. I never expect to see any Canadian 

 approach Dr. Fletcher on these lines. I never found the 

 equal of Fletcher as an all-round naturalist. As you remember, 

 nearly one hundred and fifty years ago a gentleman lived in 

 England named White, of Selbome, a learned gentleman, who 

 wrote on general natural history. Since his time no man has 

 risen in England like him. He was Dr. Fletcher's prototype. 

 There was no man like Fletcher in the multiplicit}' of subjects 

 he took up. We read of Darwin, but Darwin ran in grooves 

 as you all know. If you take up any of the other great men you 

 will find that they also ran in grooves; but not so Fletcher. 



In connection with this, I may say now there was another 

 point w'hich I discussed with Fletcher the first year I was down 

 here. Talking of natural history, he said that he was going 

 to take up all subjects. I laughed at him, I said I was a 

 geologist ; I had gone through entomology long before and 

 discovered I didn't care enough about it to continue to collect, 

 and presented mv insects to Mr. Evans, of Trenton, and 

 abandoning entomology had fallen back upon botany. He 

 said, "Why should I not take up all subjects?" Of course, gentle- 

 men, I was like most sceptical people, I laughed at him, and 

 said, "You will start five or six things and finally drop them." 

 But, he had such a power of persistence, as has been so w^ell 

 brought out to-night, that he never failed to accomplish what 

 he set out to do. 



My young son and myself w^ere up at Nepigon twenty-four 

 years ago last summer. He was quick on his feet and I w^as 

 slow, getting well up in years: we saw a fine butterfly go past 

 down the lane, and I said we must get that butterfly, and we 

 obtained perhaps a dozen. I brought them home and showed 

 the butterfly to Fletcher and he said, "Why, Macoun, that is 



