IQ2 JOHN DUNCAN, WEAVER AND BOTANIST. 



aside for John, and for future barter with other botanists 

 for rarer species. It was a heavy piece of work, " a most 

 terrible labour," as Charles says, labour of love though it 

 was, for this pair of humble students to attempt in the 

 leisure hours of a single winter ; but it was successfully 

 accomplished. Many were the nights they worked far on 

 into the morning, impelled by unquenchable love of the 

 science, and being loth to leave uncompleted any large and 

 troublesome class till another time, with the chance of inter- 

 ruption from business, and on account of the litter in which 

 the room would be left. On this last point, our notable 

 housekeeper was particular if not peremptory, as every tidy 

 wife has a right in such circumstances to be. At " long 

 last," before the " big folks " returned, the magnum opus was 

 finished, and proudly deposited in the driest place at com- 

 mand a monument of patient industry and scientific skill 

 of which any one might be justly proud. 



The history of this splendid herbarium, which with 

 subsequent accretions really became remarkably perfect, 

 was a sad one. It fell a victim, along with a collection of 

 seaweeds, not to the implacable enemies of the naturalist 

 the moths and their destructive insect allies, for their attacks 

 were effectively repelled by the friendly odours of camphor 

 and other essences but to a more insidious foe, damp, with 

 its vegetable accomplices, the fungi. House after house in 

 which they were compelled to live was infected to the core 

 with this enemy of health and natural history. Notwith- 

 standing every precaution of watching, spreading out, warm- 

 ing, and expelling the infected, this fine collection of dearly 

 won treasures was gradually decimated, year after year. 

 Every plant thrown out, poetic with glad or interesting 



