S— eer, is 
REVIEWS—ROBERT DICK. 207 
Robert Dick, Geologist and Botanist. By Samurnt Sumzs. 
London: J. Murray. 
On the last occasion when Mr. Smiles narrated the work of one of 
Scotland’s humbler sons, to whom the name of working Naturalist could 
be fittingly applied—we refer to Thomas Edward—one could not but 
admire the manner in which the writer entered into his theme, and 
described with vivid clearness the struggles, successes, and disappoint- 
ments which rendered the life of Edward so strikingly interesting. Conse- 
quently, it was with feelings of considerable expectation that we took up the 
life of Robert Dick, and after perusal we can cordially recommend it to the 
notice of such readers of the ‘Midland Naturalist” as have not already 
made themselves acquainted with it. The life of Dick may be briefly 
epitomised as follows: He was born among the lovely scenery of the 
Ochils in Scotland, at Tullibody, in 1811, his father being an officer of 
excise; his mother died when he was very young, and, as his father 
married again, the boy’s home was rendered unpleasant to him by the 
unlovying step-mother, who appeared to be jealous of any kindness paid 
to the children of the first marriage, so at the early age of thirteen 
Robert was apprenticed to a baker, and his life then was by no means of 
a romantic character; his work commenced at three in the morning, 
and he continued to drudge till seven, eight, and sometimes nine at 
night. The afternoons were his pleasant time, for then he had to deliver 
bread in the neighbouring villages, and it was on these walks that he 
began to take interest in Botany. At seventeen he left Tullibody to find 
work as a journeyman, and left it for the last time, as he was never able 
in his after life to spare money to visit it again. At the age of twenty 
he:started for himself at Thurso, and here he remained all his life, at 
first succeeding well in trade, but eventually, through competition, 
seareely making enough to supply himself with necessaries, but working 
hard till within a few days of his death. 
The county of Caithness was atthe time Dick went there a terra 
incognita to Naturalists; but, by his own unaided exerticns, he made a 
complete collection of its flowers and ferns, his botanical reputation, 
however, resting mainly on his discovery of the Hierochloe borealis, or 
holy grass, a plant previously reported from Forfarshire by Don, but only 
on his own rather risky authority. Dick discovered this grass in several 
places on the River Thurso, growing on the boulder clay; besides this, 
he found Osmunda regalis and Ajuga pyramidalis in the county. Their 
discovery, although not reported till many years afterwards, brought a 
flood of correspondence upon the finder, and he distributed many speci- 
- mens of the holy grass, of which the writer possesses one, which came 
through Mr. W. L. Notcutt—the gentleman whose list of Daventry plants 
in Northants is used by Watson in ‘‘ Topographical Botany.” Dick also 
gave Mr. Notcutt a splendid series of old red sandstone fossils; for 
Geology was taken up with ardent and unflagging interest by the Thurso 
baker, and it was principally by his aid that the geology of Caithness was 
made out; his discovery of shells in the boulder clay, and his supplying 
fossils of Diplopterus, Osteolepis, and Asterolepis to Hugh Miller laid 
science under great obligations to him. 
