NUNBURNHOLME 49 



covering the walls were a number of quaint prints 

 and pictures, mainly relating to family history ; 

 conspicuous among these was a large genealogical 

 tree, giving the ramifications of the Orpen family for 

 many generations. In another " coign of vantage " 

 was a map of England deftly worked on canvas 

 some time in the last century. Standing on the 

 chimney-piece might be seen a row of handsome 

 vases in blue and white china ; he had a great liking 

 for old china, as well as for old oak, and in his 

 choice of these and kindred objects he showed no 

 little good taste. Of easy-chairs he had none in his 

 study, and he seldom, if ever, indulged himself in 

 one in his own house, however tired he might be. 

 Various pieces of curious and handsome old furni- 

 ture were arranged about the room, among which 

 were one or two small old oak chests in which he 

 kept some of his most valued papers. By far the 

 most interesting features of the study were the large 

 cabinets containing his valuable collections of butter- 

 flies, moths, flies, beetles, birds' eggs, &c. ; the chief 

 part of the entomological specimens he had himself 

 captured, and every one of them he had set with 

 scrupulous care and neatness with his own hand. 

 Many of the Tineae moths were so small that it is 

 hard to know how a pin, even the finest, could be 

 pierced through their delicate bodies without seri- 

 ously injuring them as specimens. Not only was 

 this done with unerring skill, but also the wings 

 and antennae of these minute creatures were set out 

 with the utmost precision and symmetry of arrange- 



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