200 JOHN DUNCAN, WEAVER AND BOTANIST. 



Funchrie south of Netherton, and at Bents a little to the < 

 west. He possessed much of the uncommon ability of his 

 brother, and the same love of nature and predilection for 

 naturalistic studies. He was full of geniality and bright- 

 ness, and glowed with quiet, lambent, genuine humour, 

 combined with much self-contained reticence. He first 

 made John's acquaintance at Whitehouse, after Charles had 

 returned to it with his wife and children, in the winter of 

 1840. When he entered the room that night, he found the 

 trio Charles, John, and Mrs. Black at work on the herba- 

 rium, arranging the plants and distributing them into their 

 various classes. After friendly greeting, the young man 

 took his seat in silent wonderment, to watch the unusual 

 scene, unique in his experience and uncommon in the 

 country. John and Charles were on their stocking soles, 

 for the sake of silence and despatch, and not a word was 

 spoken in the process, except when John would insist on 

 examining some specimen he was not sure of, and on pro- 

 testing when necessary, which led to argument between the 

 botanists. Night after night, he saw them at the same 

 work, and the impressions then produced influenced him 

 for life, and still remain vivid in his imagination. 



John and James became great friends, and after Charles 

 left the place, his brother used to be the weaver's frequent 

 companion in his botanical rambles in the district, during 

 the two and a half years in which he remained there. The 

 memories of these pleasant experiences he can still relate, 

 with unusual dramatic power and picturesqueness. One of 

 these has already been given, when the two had the 

 humorous encounter with the old farmer and his son, in 

 connection with the Scrophtilaria nodosa. John tried hard, 



