1859—1863] JOHN SCOTT 217 



Lecture IV., p. 89 — Atavism. Letter 149 



You here and there use atavism = inheritance. Duchesne, 

 who, I believe, invented the word, in his Strawberry book 

 confined it, as every one has since done, to resemblance to 

 grandfather or more remote ancestor, in contradistinction to 

 resemblance to parents. 



To John Scott. Letter 150 



The following is the first of a series of letters addressed to the late 

 John Scott, of which the major part is given in our Botanical chapters. 

 We have been tempted to give this correspondence fully not only 

 because of its intrinsic scientific interest, but also because they are 

 almost the only letters which show Darwin in personal relation with a 

 younger man engaged in research under his supervision. 



Short obituary notices of Scott appeared in the Journal of Botany, 

 1880, p. 224, and in the Transactions of the Bot. Soc. of Edinburgh, 

 Vol. XIV., Nov. nth, 1880, p. 160; but the materials for a biographical 

 sketch are unfortunately scanty. John Scott (1838-80) was the son 

 of a farmer, and was born at Denholm,' in Roxburghshire. At four 

 years of age he was left an orphan, and was brought up in his aunt's 

 household. 



He early showed a love of plants, and this was encouraged by his 

 cousin, the Rev. James Duncan. Scott told Darwin that he chose a 

 gardening life as the best way of following science ; and this is the more 

 remarkable inasmuch as he was apprenticed at fourteen years of age. 

 He afterwards (apparently in 1859) entered the Royal Botanic Garden 

 at Edinburgh, and became head of the propagating department under 

 Mr. McNab. His earliest publication, as far as we are aware, is a paper 

 on Fern-spores, read before the Bot. Soc, Edinburgh, on June 12th, 1862. 

 In the same year he was at work on orchids, and this led to his con- 

 nection with Darwin, to whom he wrote in November 1862. In 1864 

 he got an appointment at the Calcutta .Botanic Garden, a position he 

 owed to Sir J. D. Hooker, who was doubtless influenced by Darwin's 

 high opinion of Scott. It was on his way to India that Scott had, 

 we believe, his only personal interview with Darwin. 



We are indebted to Sir George King for the interesting notes given 

 below, which enable us to form an estimate of Scott's personality. He 

 was evidently of a proud and sensitive nature, and that his manner was 

 pleasing and dignified appears from Darwin's brief mention of the 

 interview. He must have been almost morbidly modest, for Darwin 

 wrote to Hooker (Jan. 24th, 1864): "Remember my urgent wish to be 

 able to send the poor fellow a word of praise from any one. I have had 



1 The birthplace of the poet Leiden, to whom a monument has been 

 erected in the public square of the village. 



