I FOSSIL AND KECENT BOTANY 213 



or species, for the majority of the genera of some offthe 

 tribes of coal plants are merely names applied to individual 

 b; plants, sometimes of the same plant ; thus Calamites are 

 ||Kall stems, Lepidodendron all branches, Lepidostrobus^all 

 ^^" cones. 



[After this] I took to recent Botany, crossing and re- 

 crossing from the village to the heart of the forest, to observe 

 what difference in the native vegetation may occur in 

 progressing from New to Old red sandstone, then Mt. Lime- 

 stone, and lastly the sandstone of the coal ; all these rocks 

 lie here in parallel stripes as it were. The scenery was 

 most beautiful, and from some of the hills I caught sights 

 of the Sugar Loaf, Garway, Graig ^ and the long back of 

 the Black Mountains. 



One enjoys so much the sight of familiar objects in the 

 new aspect they wear when viewed from other points than 

 those we have been accustomed to. Another year I hope 

 to take your part of the country, though I do not expect 

 there are many rare plants there, still as my Master wants 

 the Botanical features of each soil, I will condescend to 

 accommodate him when my other interests suit my duties. 

 This will appear possibly a curious way of doing duty, but 

 Forbes and I try to drum into Sir H. the dogma, that all 

 scientific work is duty, whether he may be able to appreciate 

 the immediate bearing of its results on the Geol. Survey 

 or no. 



But this British Botany had to give way to the Fossil 

 Botany at the Geological Survey ; it was impossible to deal 

 with both. However, the latter had the greater attraction 

 in the novelty and interest of the field, and the need for per- 

 fecting a knowledge of anatomy and physiology. Still there 

 was plenty to be done in British Botany, and later he fulfilled 

 Bentham's word that the work ought to be done, despite the 

 opposition which might be expected from those who already 

 occupied the field. 



The winter and early spring of 1846-7 are filled up in part 

 with arranging the autumn's collection of fossils and preparing 



1 These hills, famUiar points in the landscape around Pontrilas, called up 

 many recollections of the Benthams. 



VOL. I * P 



