HIS OTHER FRIENDS AT NETHERTON. 2OI 



as he did with all the young hopeful subjects he met, to 

 make James a botanist ; but, although James always 

 delighted in the wild flowers in their varied native haunts 

 and afterwards became no mean florist, he never took up 

 that study as he did several others. He was more devoted 

 to the observation of animal than vegetable life, and 

 became an ardent ornithologist like Charles, and a skilful 

 taxidermatist, stuffing birds with a taste and perfection 

 rarely equalled in amateurs. He also prosecuted entomo- 

 logy to a considerable extent, caring less, however, for insects 

 than for their winged companions of the air. But though 

 not prosecuting Botany as a special study, nothing pleased 

 the young man more than to accompany our enthusiast in 

 his wanderings, and to gather specimens for him on all 

 occasions, to be named and described. 



At that time, two things impressed him greatly in 

 connection with John. The one was the ignorance of the 

 country folks, in general, regarding the natural objects 

 amidst which they daily worked, especially wild flowers 

 an impression strengthened by subsequent observation. In 

 going about with Duncan, he found that plants of even 

 unusual size were unknown or unobserved by them, in the 

 general confusion of verdure, from the want of their 

 attention being early directed to them, and from their 

 faculties not being trained to observe. To this ignorance, 

 he saw, was added an intense indifference to such things, 

 except in so far as they were of practical use in their daily 

 life. The second point then noted by Mr. Black was the 

 surprise, combined with contempt, with which they viewed 

 the man who studied these common objects, and tried to 

 direct their attention to their structure and beauty. John 



