vm 



surviving parent. From this date till 1836, he was partly resident at 

 Hastings, and partly at Southampton. 



During the above period, viz.j from 1830 till 1836, entomology, as 

 well as botany, much engaged Dr. Bromfield's attention. When 

 this taste was first acquired is not known, though it appears likely to 

 have commenced while on his continental travels. His attainments 

 in entomology were very considerable, and by no means only, though 

 principally, as regarded British insects. 



In 1836, Dr. Bromfield became resident at Ryde, in the Isle of 

 Wight; soon after which he conceived the idea of publishing a flora 

 of the island, the plan of which was, however, ultimately ex- 

 tended to the whole county of Hampshire. From this time, botany 

 became his leading pui'suit and study, though by no means exclu- 

 sively, as during his residence in Ryde he gave much attention to the 

 study of climate, both as indicated by the atmosphere and deep 

 springs, and still pursued his study of steam mechanics ; a working 

 model of some improvement, of his own invention, being unfortunately 

 left incomplete. • ^/. .► - 



Though the local flora was now the main object of his botanical 

 studies. Dr. Bromfield was not indifferent to objects of interest grow- 

 ing further from home, and made frequent more distant excursions, 

 sometimes with a friend, and sometimes alone, to verify the localities 

 of any interesting species. As time passed on, he became less satis- 

 fied with his short excursions, and the love of travel worked strongly 

 within him. A trip to Ireland in the autumn of 1 842, to see the Ar- 

 butus growing on the | hills of Killarney, for a time satisfied this 

 desire ; but craving to visit new and interesting scenes still further 

 fiom home, on January 2, 1844, he started for a tour through the 

 West-India Islands, visiting Barbadoes, Granada, Trinidad, Jamaica, 

 Porto-Rico, and St. Thomas's. 



Dr. Bromfield's attention, in this tour, was by no means confined 

 to botanical investigations, though very principally directed to them. 

 The habits and manners of the people, the sky, climate, and " aspects 

 of Nature " generally, all claimed a share of his observation ; and the 

 voluminous letters written by him at this time are full of the most 



