1853] Diving Power of a Sandpiper. 27 



Vectensis " was taken in hands by Sir W. Hooker and 

 Dr. Bell Salter : but botanists had still some years to wait 

 for its publication, which was achieved in 1856. The cata- 

 loguing of his celebrated Herbarium was reserved to a yet 

 later date (1858), when Mr. More undertook it. 



The principal occupation of the summer was collecting 

 and noting the distribution of the plants growing near 

 Bembridge ; but neither birds nor insects were neglected, 

 and the following among his notes for 1852 records an 

 uncommon experience, which he never published : 



August i jth, 1852. 



After shooting at and wounding a Common Sandpiper on the sea- 

 shore, upon going up to secure it, the bird without hesitation and of its 

 own accord took to the water, holding its head well up, and quite as if 

 a regular natator. So fast did it advance, in spite of stones thrown 

 beyond it, as soon to be quite out of reach ; but we could still distin- 

 guish it swimming along parallel with the shore, and as a boat was 

 then approaching we hailed the fisherman to give chase. But then we 

 were still more surprised to see it diving repeatedly (this after being ten 

 or fifteen minutes afloat), and remaining for half a minute under water, 

 insomuch that it was only by driving it towards land that it was at last 

 secured. When diving in the shallow water I could see that it pro- 

 pelled itself by the use of its wings, flying as it were under water ; and 

 perhaps one point in its favour was that the pinion had been clean shot 

 off, and so there was nothing to hang loose and impede it. I had pre- 

 viously seen a Sandpiper make a short dive, but never suspected it 

 capable of such a vigorous performance. 



The winter of 1852-3 was one of exceptional mildness, 

 and occasioned his first contribution to a botanical print. 

 This was a short note published among the proceedings 

 of the Phytologist Club in the March number of the 

 " Phytologist" (p. 874). It was merely supplemental to a 

 few notes previously communicated by others, but the love 

 of noticing minute details in common things is apparent 

 enough in its few lines : 



If the following plants, observed flowering in the Isle of Wight, be 

 added to the list already published in the " Phytologist," they will, I 

 think, indicate still more clearly the remarkable advance of the present 

 season, since they are all genuine spring flowers: In December we 

 found a solitary flower of Viola sylvatica. Jan. loth, Tussilago farfara 

 in flower. Jan. 2ist, Mercurialis perennis and by the end of the 

 month plenty in flower. Caltha palustris, several in flower, and many 



