360 CHARLES CARDALE BABINGTON. [1864 



meeting, the medical men tell me. If not better provided for, I 

 hope to have you in St. John's College for as long as you like to 

 stay. I think that you should take the opportunity of seeing a 

 little of the plants of our fens. We might form a party one day 

 to the only piece of fen land that has not been tampered with by 

 the cultivator and drainer. Also the Statices would be in full 

 flower at Hunstanton, and we might visit that coast. Suppose you 

 brought a select few of the best of your students to see these 

 places, so interesting to them as so different in character and flora. 

 Now do think seriously of these matters, and, as I hope, give them 

 a favourable consideration, and come to a favourable result. — Yours 

 very truly, Charles C. Babington. 



To the Rev. T. A. Preston. 



Cambridge, Dec. 14, 1864. 



Dear Preston, — I do not understand the character of your 

 prize. Oliver's "Lessons in Elementary Botany" is certainly a 

 good book to use, although I do not think that he has improved 

 the schedule in all respects, and he has used "pistil" in what I 

 believe to be a wrong sense. The power of correctly filling up 

 even such schedules as Oliver's is a power less easily acquired than 

 might at first sight appear. Mistakes are very easily made, and it 

 is an admirable test of exactness of observation, and real elemen- 

 tary knowledge of the structure of flowers. — Yours very truly, 

 Charles C. Babington. 



You would be pleased to learn that Adams was elected a Fellow. 



To the same. 



Cambridge, Dec. 23, 1864. 



Dear Preston, — Doubtless you will do well to use Oliver's book^ 

 which is excellent in most respects. I propose to alter the schedule 

 a little, and am not altogether satisfied with the result of using my 

 "Notes." (I send you some more copies of them.) I shall 

 probably reprint them before my lectures begin, in an altered form. 

 I think that the Linnaean system might be altogether omitted : and 

 page 7 will not do. The men get it up, but do not understand 

 anything from it. I would put in its place the definitions of the 

 classes and divisions somewhat as they stand in my " Manual." I 

 think that by altering it in this way, and in many other less 

 material matters, I shall greatly improve it. If you print any 

 schedules for the boys, I recommend their being altered as the one 

 enclosed. For my own use I propose to add to " Leaf " the shape 

 and margination ; but perhaps you might find it fully sufficient 

 without that addition. If I can help more, please to tell me how. 

 I am glad to learn that your boys have taken up Natural History so 



