82 SIR WILLIAM FLOWER CHAP. 



their most important journey was in 1873, when 

 hard work had begun to tell so seriously on 

 Flower's health that his friends were alarmed, 

 and strongly urged a period of rest in a warm 

 climate. The Council of the College of Surgeons 

 met, and unanimously voted him six months' leave 

 of absence. Sir James Paget and Professor Huxley 

 warmly advocated Egypt as far superior in climate, 

 as also in interest, to the Riviera or Algiers. The 

 chief anxiety was then about the children, soon 

 solved by Flower's father and mother undertaking 

 the care of the elder ones, whilst his brother, 

 Charles Edward Flower, and his wife kindly 

 invited the younger ones to their charming house 

 by the river Avon. 



" Thus Flower and his wife," says one who has 

 kindly contributed a reminiscence of this time, 

 "started in November 1873 across Italy, and taking 

 the P. & O. steamer at Venice for Alexandria, 

 remained five months in Egypt, going up the Nile 

 in the sailing dahabeeah of kind friends as far as 

 the First Cataract, and returning home by the long 

 sea-route in May 1874. He wrote some valuable 

 notes on the climate at the time, and enjoyed 

 drawing birds and animals in the water-colour land- 

 scapes taken by his wife, it giving him positive 

 delight to see the cranes, flamingoes, pelicans, 

 spoonbills, hoopoos, and other birds enjoying 

 wild life, which he had hitherto only known in 

 Zoological Gardens and Museums. 



