376 JOHN DUNCAN, WEAVER AND BOTANIST. 



and a mineral well close by, once much frequented by 

 the Aberdonians. Mr. Taylor was of great assistance to 

 Duncan in the earlier years of his botanical studies. John 

 never came to see him at Allanvale without a large gather- 

 ing of new or difficult plants, which he wished to show 

 or get his friend's assistance in deciphering. All these 

 had to be carefully examined, identified and named, and 

 Mr. Taylor was often exhausted by the protracted work 

 involved, while John seemed eager and receptive as at 

 first. When the more lengthy technicalities were told him, 

 he would say, "I winna mind a' thae names; let's hear 

 that ane again." He would solve the difficulty by taking 

 out a slip of paper and asking it to be written down, and 

 pronounced again and again while he carefully looked and 

 repeated it ; often concluding with some bit of practical 

 psychology, as " ye see, the mind winna keep a' thing." 

 But, as Mr. Taylor says, John's " memory and identification 

 of plants and names were always strong ; " though strange 

 technical and foreign words were difficult to him, as to most. 

 Mr. Taylor watched John's gradual and sure progress 

 in the science, and has a high opinion of his knowledge 

 of plants and of the general flora of Scotland. They used 

 to assist each other in discovering new species and new 

 stations, informing each other of these when found, gather- 

 ing for each and making exchanges, as all true lovers of 

 plants delight to do. Thus John, for instance, brought Mr. 

 Taylor the Rest Harrow (Ononis arvensis) when he first 

 found it at Oldtown of Leochel, about a hundred yards 

 from the farmhouse, the first specimen his friend had seen 

 from a station so inland and elevated or from that district.* 

 * See p. 225. Duncan also got it at Mamsel of Monymusk. 



