xl FLORA ORCADENSIS. 
and winding burns, and rocky escarpments with 
sheltered crevices for rare ferns and rarer flowers. 
With such a training—at one time storing up know- 
ledge in the seats of learning, at another classifying 
and identifying birds and plants—one is surely well 
qualified for life’s battle. His first occupation was, | 
believe, that of farmer in Hobbister, Orphir, of which 
his father was proprietor. He grew tired of sheep- 
farming and stock-rearing, as was to be expected, and 
having secured a situation in the Bank of Mont- 
real, Toronto, he lived there with his wife, a daughter 
of Dr Duguid, Kirkwall. He and his father-in-law 
were joint authors of a MS. “ Flora Oreadensis,’ which 
was never published. His letters written to his niece, 
Miss Mary Heddle, now Mrs Moodie, London, show 
the bias of his mental activities. Here are a few 
quotations :—“ But then imagine the delight of 
vetting away in the evening into the deep, deep 
wood, where sunlight scarcely enters and where the 
tall pines cling together overhead, and wandering 
underneath we find strange flowers too numerous and 
varied. Indeed, they come up so fast, blossom so 
short, and vanish so speedily, that a botanist tied by 
the heels all day, and only escaping for a hurried 
evening scramble, feels many a sad regret at not being 
able to keep up with their exuberance, and bewails 
species seen but in bud, a week afterwards in seed, 
whilst its gay blossoms never gladdened his sight. 
Still I have culled and rudely pressed many kinds, to 
me a joy and solace such as my bank-fellows know 
nothing of.” Again: “I tumble in to dinner about 
6 p.m. inclined for nought but wandering afield. I 
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