300 JOHN DUNCAN, WEAVER AND BOTANIST. 



acquaintance with their names, habits and winning ways, 

 for he loved and studied all God's creatures. As Mr. 

 Deans, one of his disciples, observes, "it ought not to 

 be overlooked that, although he may not have studied the 

 subject technically, he was nevertheless exceedingly well 

 acquainted with the habits of our wild animals, and espe- 

 cially the birds, and could tell amusing anecdotes about 

 them." 



He also prosecuted Entomology to some extent, and 

 was often seen chasing butterflies and insects, of which he 

 made a collection, as at Auchleven. 



In Natural History, he felt great interest, and used to 

 examine all the creatures that came in his way. He 

 possessed a considerable knowledge of animals, and read 

 much about them, purchasing for this purpose Charles 

 Knight's " Natural History," a large work. 



Geology he had a great desire to know, especially after 

 he saw Charles Black's collection at Raeden, and heard of 

 his progress in it on the Solway, "for," as John said, " there 

 seemed to be a deal o' Geology there ; " but living in the 

 unfossiliferous region of Aberdeen, he had little oppor- 

 tunity of working at it. By the time he wished to do so, 

 Charles had removed to a distance, and John had, as he said, 

 " naebody to gae 'im a lift wi't ; " and Geology is a science 

 requiring above most, in its earlier stages, the practical 

 assistance of a master in the field. He was therefore 

 reluctantly obliged to abandon the subject, in spite of its 

 intimate relation to the plants and their habits, and its 

 continual challenge to his intelligence and love of intel- 

 lectual acquisition. 



Phrenology, to which he had been first introduced by 



