1854] Making Friends in Dublin. 57 



&c." The interest shown in the Castle Taylor plants was 

 naturally a great encouragement to the writing of the 

 long-contemplated botanical Paper. 



The kindliest encouragement was also accorded by 

 another eminent naturalist, whom, unhappily, he was to 

 have no opportunity of meeting again Dr. Robert Ball. 



"Aug. i5th. Received from Mr. Robinson a note 

 of introduction to Dr. Ball, which I forthwith put in requi- 

 sition, having found Dr. B. at the Trinity College gate. 

 He took me over the Museum, where are some very scarce 

 birds Great Auk, King Duck, Belted Kingfisher, &c. 

 and very complete examples of the Irish Deer. Dr. Ball 

 showed me a number of plaster casts of native fishes, 

 mostly of unusual size, which exhibit the species far better 

 than the preserved skin ; at present the casts are all plain, 

 but it is intended to have them painted after nature, and 

 so they will be perfect fac-similes of the animal. We also 

 saw a young bird of the Great Snipe, very different looking 

 from the adult, and marked with blotches of reddish- 

 brown. Leaving two or three Zygsena minos behind me, 

 we proceeded to Dr. B/s rooms at the Castle, where he 

 was kind enough to write me several notes of introduc- 

 tion, to Dr. Mackay, and others. 



" 1 6th. Went to breakfast with Dr. Ball, when he 

 showed me several very fine Wardian cases, especially an 

 uncommonly large one in the back-yard, built like a cup- 

 board with shelves, bearing sods of turf, on which the 

 ferns grow most luxuriantly ; also his dredging apparatus, 

 recommending the smaller i \ foot one, with cheese-cloth 

 bag of galvanized iron. I also went with him into his 

 library and sanctum, where he has many curious prepara- 

 tions ; his masquerade dress of the chimpanzee was most 

 excellent imitation, and I should think very effective. . . . 

 Dr. Ball took me to see the Irish Academy, the College 

 Herbarium, and several jewellers' shops where the revived 

 old Irish brooches are kept. It appears he was the first man 

 who recommended the imitation to be tried, but he was 

 quite repulsed at first : it was only after an English 

 jeweller had shown the way, that the man he had advised 

 chose to take up the business. Dr. Ball told me he has 



