Scientific Reading. 17 



ments, and a conversationalist ranked by Darwin 

 next to Sir John Mackintosh ; Leonard Jenyns, a 

 well-known zoologist, who in later years was associ- 

 ated with Darwin in scientific work ; Mr. Ramsay, a 

 brother of Sir Alexander Ramsay, and many more 

 with whom he was thrown in more or less intimate 

 relationship, which must have had an effect upon his 

 character and tastes. The young man at this time 

 must have shown many evidences of the brilliant 

 future that was before him. Older men sought his 

 company and listened to his ideas and views, and he 

 was an acceptable companion in their walks and ex- 

 cursions. His college mates must also have recog- 

 nised his talents in the direction of science, as one 

 of his companions, after watching him at work at his 

 insect collection, volunteered the prophecy, which 

 seemed to Darvvin preposterous, that one day he 

 would be a Fellow of the Royal Society. In his last 

 year at college the young naturalist took up a course 

 of scientific reading, which had no little influence 

 in determining his career. Humboldt's " Personal 

 Narrative " was read and discussed, exciting in his 

 mind a desire to travel, while Herschel's " Introduc- 

 tion to the Study of Natural Philosophy " created a 

 strong wish to indulge in original investigation and 

 to become one of the scientific workers of the world. 

 These works so interested him that he copied ex- 

 tracts which he read to his friends while on their 

 expeditions, and Humboldt's description of the 

 beauties of Teneriffe excited so intense a desire to 

 see the island that he was about negotiating for a 

 passage when another plan prevented. 



