17( 



VISITS OXFOED 149 



On October 15th he set out for Oxford. On his 

 way he evidently botanised with industry. He 

 notes — 



" Oct. 16. Discovered on the banks of the Thames as 

 I walked from Streatly to Wallingford — 



"The water hoar-hound, marrubium aquaticum; the yellow 

 willow-herb, or loose-strife, lysimachia ; the purple spiked 

 D° lysimachia purpurea ; and the Comfrey Symphytum mag- 

 num in bloom, being one of the herhce asperifolice ; water 

 figwort, scrop. aquat" 



The entry continues with the list of plants he 

 noticed at the Physic Garden at Oxford. On re- 

 turning to Selborne, many botanical discoveries 

 there and in the neighbourhood were recorded. 



On April 25th, 1766, John Mulso, who had spent 

 the winter in London, writes expressing his delight 

 at meeting his friend again : — 



"Vegetation thrives apace now, and I suppose you are 

 quite intent on your new study. You will not perhaps 

 relish a Prospect the worse when we force you to look up, as 

 I presume you will go with your eyes fixed on the ground 

 most part of the summer. You will pass with country 

 folks as a man always making sermons, while you are only 

 considering a Weed. I thank you for your learned disserta- 

 tion on the Canker or Stinkpot. I knew in general that all 

 flesh was grass, but I did not know that grass was flesh 

 before." 



Other more practical matters, however, than botany 

 engaged attention at Selborne sometimes ; as appears 



