CHAP. xx. DICK'S CORRESPONDENTS. 343 



" it would only have been to guess. But I gathered 

 all the information I could get about the whale, and sent 

 it to Professor Owen." 



Dick still kept up a considerable correspondence, 

 though it was for the most part forced upon him. He 

 was indisposed, amidst his troubles, to open new corre- 

 spondence; though those who had corresponded with him 

 once, would not allow him to forget them : his letters 

 were so interesting, humorous, and instructive. He was 

 often invited to pay visits far from home ; but that was, 

 of course, impossible. Few of his correspondents knew 

 of his poverty. Very likely, many of them thought him 

 to be a man of independent position. Mr. Notcutt of 

 Cheltenham thought that Dick wished the correspondence 

 with him to cease. But he wrote to him again and 

 again, until he replied. "I shall ever feel grateful to 

 you," said Mr. Notcutt, " for the noble series of Old Eed 

 fossils which, through your liberality, I possess. I 

 append a list of most of the things (dried flowering 

 plants) which I have for you." And at length Dick 

 was thawed into continuing the correspondence. Of 

 course Mr. Notcutt knew nothing of the pecuniary 

 struggles that Dick was then passing through. 



Numerous requests were made to Dick for exchanges 

 of plants and fossils. Amongst his correspondence we 

 find letters from Dr. L. Lindsay, lichen ologist, Perth; 

 Mr. John Sim, botanist, Perth ; Mr. Roy, botanist, 

 Aberdeen ; Mr. Alfred Bell, Bloomsbury Street, London ; 

 Mr. John Backhouse, York ; Mr. Henry Coghill, Liver- 

 pool ; Mr. George Henslow, son of Professor Henslow 



