TENNYSON AS A STUDENT AND POET OF NATURE 101 



Tennysoyi as a Stiulent and Poet of Nature. By Sir Norman 

 LocKYER and Winifred Lockyer. 8vo, cl. pp. x. 220. 

 Macmillan. Price 4s. 6d. net. 



The "minute accuracy of observation displayed" by Tenny- 

 son, to which Sir Norman Lockyer refers in the concluding para- 

 graph of his introduction to the volume before us, is obvious 

 to every nature-lover who reads his poems, and was still more 

 evident to those who had the privilege of accompanying him in 

 his walks at Freshwater, or, later, in strolls round his garden at 

 Aldworth. And it was perhaps worth while " to collect together 

 the passages in Tennyson's works which deal with the scientific 

 aspects of nature," as has to a certain extent been done in the 

 volume before us, which by liberal spacing has been expanded into 

 230 pages, and should have had another ten in the shape of an 

 index, which is unaccountably wanting. But having looked 

 through the portion connected with " plants and trees," with 

 which alone we are concerned, we find it impossible to ascertain 

 on what principle the selections have been made. 



That the compilers have not intended to give a complete 

 anthology is obvious enough — dozens of omitted passages recur 

 to the reader as he glances through those selected, which seem at 

 least equally worthy of inclusion. " The scientific aspects of 

 nature " are surely at least as much present in the reference to 

 " those long mosses in the stream " or " the violet of his native 

 land" as in "all Lent-lily in hue" or "native hazels tassel-hung," 

 both of which are included. If 



" The moving whisper of huge trees that branched 

 And blossom'd in the zenith," 



which does not refer to England, be cited under the heading of 

 Spring, why exclude 



" The wild marsh-marigold shines like fire in swam.ps and hollows grey " 

 which does ? Nor do we understand why such verses as that 

 beginning "The slender acacia" should be placed under Spring ; 

 the context, as indeed do the other flowers mentioned, makes it 

 obvious that the poet was describing summer, not spring ; and in 

 any case, what is there " scientific" in the passage '? 



It would be easy to amplify on these lines, but other matters 

 provoke remark. Various eminent scientific men are thanked 

 for their assistance, and manifestations of gratitude are always 

 pleasing ; but surely it did not need Prof. Farmer to tell us that 



" When rosy plumelets tuft the larch " 

 refers " to the young cones tliat are rosy-red in colour " — " who's a 

 deniging of it?" one is inclined to say. With Colonel Prain's 

 notes we are frequently out of accord. We will allow that 

 " creepers crimsoning to the pinnacles " may be " Parthenocissus 

 tricusjndata, more usually but incorrectly known as Avipelopsis 

 Veitchii," though we think it more likely that the common " Vir- 

 ginia Creeper " v/as intended ; but it seems almost sacrilegious to 

 assign " the little speedwell's darling blue " to Vero7iica Buxhaumii, 

 an introduced cornfield weed which, p)0,cc Colonel Prain, is by 



