WILD FLOWERS AND WARBLERS. 471 



here now, and let us gather a hatful of these wild flowers, for 

 my daughter, that she may dry them, to keep in remembrance 

 of Scotland. 



Orn. Tt will give me pleasure to assist. Here are som>e 

 anemones, a tuft of wood-sorrel, a blade of some grass or other, 

 a violet, a primrose, a chrysosplenium, and — 



Phys. A bunch of Ranunculus auricomus, not quite in flower. 

 Now for the steep ascent that leads to Fame's proud temple ! 



Orn. Well, gentlemen, this is the village of Slateford, as full 

 of children as Currie was ; and now we have nothing for it but 

 a hard bare road. How the corn of my sixth toe aches ! 



Phys. Farewell, I must leave you here, and hasten home to 

 finish an essay on the organs of destructiveness in ornithologists, 

 and on the impossibility of determining the analogous parts in 

 the brains of birds. 



Ornithologus — (solus in the street, at nine o'clock). A very 

 pleasant day we have had, and now having rested two hours 

 with Americanus Ornitherinus, and enjoyed his hopitality, I 

 go home to prepare for repose by writing half a dozen pages 

 or so. Who can this be I Ah, Mr Weir, how are you to- 

 night ? I have just been, with our friend Mr Audubon, over 

 the Pentland hills. 



Mr Weir. Man, I wish I had been with you. If you had 

 sent me word I should have come to town for the purpose. I 

 have been at your house. 



Orn. Perhaps you will return, for I want some information 

 about birds from you. 



Mr Weir. With all my heart. 



Orn. Well now, in the first place, did you ever meet with 

 the Garden Warbler, the lesser White-throat, or the Reed 

 Wren I 



Mr Weir. The Garden Warbler I have seen several times. 

 I have a very fine specimen, stuffed by Mr Carfrae, which I 

 shot while in the act of singing upon the top of a tall ash-tree 

 about three hundred yards from my house. The Lesser White- 

 throat I saw once, and I had a nest of the Reed Wren ; but 

 I will send you a list of the summer birds that appear in West 

 Lothian. 



