MR. EDWARD HOBSON. 303 
back, and had the satisfaction to see the old man 
just emerging from the water with the precious 
specimen in his grasp. 
To a person fond of Natural History, and 
residing in the country, Hobson’s society was 
invaluable. He appeared at all times quite as 
much gratified in communicating as in acquiring 
knowledge, and, from his uncommon quickness 
and accuracy, every walk in a garden, every field, 
every lane, every brook or pond afforded him 
opportunities of pointing out new or unobserved 
sources of gratification. 
When taking his favourite walks, the moment 
he found himself clear of the smoke of Manches- 
ter his eye was upon the alert in every direction, 
and his countenance, at all times pleasing, assumed 
peculiar animation whilst he was breathing the 
pure air of the country. 
Not many years before his death he was so 
kind as to accompany me on an angling excursion 
to Bakewell, in Derbyshire, with the view also of 
obtaining something like an outline of the natural 
history of the river Wye. He was astonished 
and delighted with the endless variety of water- 
bred flies we met with, and especially by the many 
