MEMOIR OF WILLIAM YARRELL. XV 



its uses only, never for its own sake ; moderate (as a 

 man of business) in his aims, though attentive to what 

 he undertook ; hating waste, yet never ambitious of accu- 

 mulation." . . . . " For many years his house was 

 familiar to all naturalists, and to visitors of every rank 

 from the country, not to mention foreigners, to whom 

 the reputation of one of the soundest of living zoolo- 

 gists was well known, and who never visited it without 

 being struck by the kind and communicative manners of 

 its hospitable inmate." ...** His habits, angler 

 and ornithologist as he was, were eminently those of a 

 Londoner. He loved glees, and sung them well, and at 

 one time of his life was a frequent attendant at the 

 theatres." Dr. R. G. Latham. 



The testimony of Professor Bell, who knew him well, 

 is as follows : " In speaking of Mr. Yarrell's intellec- 

 tual and social qualities, it is difficult to do them justice 

 without danger of appearing hyperbolical. His judg- 

 ment was clear and sound, his appreciation of the value 

 of facts and of evidence most accurate, his advice always 

 practical and thoughtful. His truthfulness and simple, 

 heartedness were even child-like, his temper gentle, his 

 heart loving and affectionate, and he was liberal and 

 charitable almost to the verge of imprudence. A kind- 

 lier spirit never lived. His friendships were sincere and 

 lasting, and only changeable on discovery of the worth- 

 lessness of the subject, and then how hard was he to 

 believe the painful truth ! If ever man realized the 

 beautiful apostolical definitions of Charity, it was 

 William Yarrell. There were, indeed, in Mr. Yarrell's 

 character many points of resemblance to that of Izaac 

 Walton and of Gilbert White. The same charming 

 bonhomie and truthfulness and simplicity and elegant 

 taste as in the former ; and the close and accurate obser- 



