KINDNESS, AND SYMPATHIES 251 



interest in every kind of European mammal and reptile. 

 As to fishes, he restricted his interest to those found in 

 his own river. 



" Within the first hour of my first visit to Lilford 

 (how well do I recollect that glorious day in July !) we 

 were exploring the uppermost accessible parts of the 

 house in search of bats ; and the early morning of the 

 next day (about 2 a.m.) found us on the river trying for 

 bream, which never would bite, giving us ample leisure 

 for discussion of their curious habits. In conversation, 

 whilst he was apparently searching for instruction, he 

 imparted from his rich store of knowledge most valuable 

 information, inasmuch as he never made any statement 

 which was not based upon, or confirmed by, his own 

 observation. I never knew a more accurate or more 

 reliable observer ; and as he devoted almost the whole of 

 his life to the study of nature, he knew some parts of it 

 to perfection. He often would say that he was not a 

 scientific naturalist. This was true in that sense, that 

 he cared comparatively little about branches beyond his 

 own special field of study, that he never made himself 

 acquainted with the internal structure of animals, their 

 classification, or with technicalities of zoology. But if 

 the accurate and systematic observation of the habits of 

 animals, if searching for the facts in nature without 

 entering the mazy ways of hypothesis or imagination, 

 may be called science, he could claim the title of scientific 

 Jiaturalist with any other in the land. Often, when he 



