INTRODUCTION. xv 



piirpose is at present in abeyance. The first Curator of the Gardens 

 was Thomas Drummond, who was well known as an exploring naturalist, 

 and a good bryologist ; his successor in the Gardens, J. Campbell, was 

 also a botanist : both did good local scientific work. 



Botanical researches were carried on with increasing spii'it by a number 

 of local naturalists. WiUiam Thompson, who commenced bis scientific 

 career at twenty-one, and died at the early age of forty-seven, was the 

 successor of Templeton, and like him a many-sided naturalist. While 

 ardently engaged investigating many branches of the Irish fauna he 

 maintained a love for plants, and did not neglect the native flora. He 

 made collections in all the botanical groups, though much of this material 

 was not used to any great extent. His knowledge of flowering plants was 

 fair, and he held a superior position as an algologist, his collections of 

 Alg<s, both marine and fresh-water, being valuable. George Crawford 

 Hyndman, who was one of the founders of the Natural History Society, 

 was intimately associated with Thompson in his investigations of the 

 marine fauna. He too had a lively interest in botanical pursuits, confin- 

 ing himself, however, to the Phanerogamia. At the head of an extensive 

 business he could not devote the same amoimt of time to the work of a 

 naturalist, and his attention 'n-as given primarily to the study of concho- 

 logy. Nevertheless the flora of the district received a share of his atten- 

 tion, and his herbarium includes a large number of the local plants. Dr. 

 Mateer, who was in 1836 appointed successor of Dr. J. L. Drummond 

 as Professor of Botany in the Academical Institution, was an en- 

 thusiastic botanist, but, a worker with little system, he has left few 

 traces behind. An intimate associate of Mateer was William Millen, 

 who long survived his friend, and saw the advent of the new and vigo- 

 rous race of naturalists trained up by Mr. Tate. Like his friend. Dr. 

 Mateer, Millen had an enthusiastic love for the native plants of his 

 country, and like him was most conscientious, but did not take the pains 

 to be entirely acciu-ate, and there are little peimanent results of his work. 

 Let us not say therefore that his laboiu- was fniitless ; he succeeded in 

 imparting a love of nature to many pupUs, and he added many bright 

 happy hours to his own existence. David On-, who resided for some 

 years in Belfast, and was cotemporary with Thompson, noted many 

 plants as occurring in the district. The suspicion of carelessness how- 

 ever deprives his work of much of the value it otherwise would have. 

 Many additional names might be mentioned; Miss Hincks, of BaUycastle, 

 Miss Gage, of EathUn, and Miss MafFett, of Belfast, have used their 

 talents, with good results, to promote a better knowledge of local botany. 

 Mr. F. Whitla, Mr. Rea, Eev. Mr. Hind, Mr. W. H. Ferguson, and others 

 also gave their services to further the same cause . Mr. Charles Dickson, a 

 solicitor by profession who was just entering on his career, was one of 

 the latest recruits enrolled in the ranks of the local natui-alists. Legal 

 training is often thought to be antagonistic to the love of nature, but 

 examples to the contrary are not wanting in Belfast, and Mr. Dickson 

 was among the most recent. How far he would have succeeded can only 

 be conjectured, but full of energy and intelligence there is every reasoa 



