U6 



reaching far and wide, even to Ely and beyond, as well as in 

 other directions. This whole district not merely abounded in 

 birds, insects, shells and plants, but in certain localities were to be 

 found many rare species, of plants especially, seldom met with in 

 other parts of England, I know nothing in Somerset, within 

 easy reach from Bath, approaching to the Cambridgeshire Fens in 

 this respect, except it be Shapwick Moor, as it was formerly, 

 when Broome and myself twice visited it, and had a most 

 successful day's botanising each time, but not as now, when little 

 of the Moor remains, its chief rarities having in great measure 

 disappeared with it. 



Such was the rich neighbourhood in which Broome found him- 

 self situated, and of which he soon availed himself. He set about 

 collecting insects, plants, and its other natural productions, and 

 we frequently took walks together. In 1832, as stated above, he 

 entered the University, where I often met him for a day's 

 excursion, or visited him in his college rooms, and where also he 

 became acquainted with Henslow, Professor of Botany at that 

 time, and whose botanical excursions, with his class, I think he 

 often joined. Darwin had taken his degree the January previous 

 to Broome's entering the University in October, 1832, and I am 

 not sure that the latter ever made the acquaintance of that distin- 

 guished naturalist, who, soon after graduating, left Cambridge to 

 accompany Captain Fitzroy on the far-famed voyage of the 

 Beagle. 



After Broome left the University we still kept up our 

 acquaintance, but we only met at intervals in London or else- 

 where. His frequent change of residence caused an interruption 

 of all companionship in Natural History excursions, though it left 

 a place for occasional correspondence. It was not till after he 

 had iixed his residence at Elmhurst, Batheaston, and myself had 

 moved from Cambridgeshire and come to Bath, that we were able 

 to associate together as formerly for field explorations. 



And here I am led to speak of him in connection with the 



I 



