MT. 44-45.] DEATH OF HIS FATHEil. 101 



in the hours robbed from sleep that the Tertiary 

 memoirs were penned. He pursued this course, this 

 " burning the candle at both ends," not without mis- 

 givings on the part of his friends and they were 

 many. When practicable he went into the country 

 from Saturday until Monday, and thus had a refresh- 

 ing change a change which, it is needless to add, was 

 utilised for his geology. Also he occasionally spent 

 an evening with one of his married sisters, the three 

 nearest in age having then their own homes. 



The genial nature of the man w^as shown by the 

 evening parties which he contrived to give in his 

 bachelor City establishment, when there was a goodly 

 muster of relatives and young cousins, whom he de- 

 lighted to have round him, and amongst whom there 

 was always unanimity as to the great success of 

 " Cousin Joseph's party." Of course there was dancing 

 for the young people, no one joining in it with more 

 zest than the host himself. These parties made a 

 curious yet pleasant break in the monotony of his 

 evening work : in calculating the daily delivery of 

 springs and rivers ; in tabulating lists of fossils ; in 

 the careful drawing of maps and sections ; in think- 

 ing out, and in throwing new light upon, obscure 

 problems in geology. 



The death of our geologist's father, which took 

 place in November 1856, made a great change in 

 his life, as it led to his return to the family home, 

 where his youngest sister, Civil Prestwich, was left 

 alone. Although his father was a man of culture, 

 he had little interest in science : but it was from him, 

 doubtless, that Joseph Prestwich inherited his artistic 

 power and fastidiousness in matters of taste. Collec- 

 tions of specimens of minerals, &c., which had grown 



