26 INTRODUCTION 



early in his tenure of the office it was currently reported 

 that he had spent ^2,000 of his own money on the Garden. 

 Notwithstanding, there was at any rate one member of the 

 University who was ungracious enough to publish a grumble 

 against the shilling entry-fee to the green-houses which the 

 Committee had felt it their duty to impose. Daubeny's letter 

 of March 18, 1856, to Convocation was a very satisfactory 

 answer to his critic. 



In his time the Garden was frequently the scene of receptions 

 and social functions, as, for instance, on the memorable 

 occasion of the Meeting of the British Association in 1847, 

 when the Garden Party was attended by Tiglath Pileser, Frank 

 Buckland's bear, dressed up as a student of Christ Church, 

 with cap and gown, which was introduced to Sir Charles Lyell, 

 Prince Charles L. Bonaparte, and Milne Edwards. The Show 

 of the Oxfordshire Horticultural Society held here in June, 

 1839, will be long remembered in literature as having been 

 visited by the sisters of Mr. Verdant Green. 



Some of the flowers grown in 1859 may still be seen in 

 stone carved with great skill on the corbels and capitals of the 

 University Museum. And again much of the sculpture of 1906 

 was inspired in a similar manner. 



Many are the references in biographies to parties at Dr. 

 Daubeny's "pleasant residence" at the Botanic Garden. 

 During his later years Dr. Daubeny kept monkeys in a cage 

 let into the Danby gateway, which were shown to guests after 

 dinner. One night it was found that the door had been forced 

 and the monkeys liberated. The Professor was much vexed, 

 but did not discover the culprit, whom Tuckwell believed to 

 be Harry Wilkins of Merton. The monkeys were captured 

 next day " wandering dismal on the Iffley Road, or perched, 

 crepitantes dentibus^ on the railings in Rose Lane." The Oxford 

 CfowzzV/d for January 18, 1868, contained the unusual announce- 

 ment of the "Sale, by Dr. Daubeny's executors, of furniture, 

 old wines, some of the pictures, MONKEYS and CAGE, and 



