Biographical Sketch 1 5 



gave me the new volume of his work (* British 

 Birds ') for you. You will see yourself quoted 

 all through in the preface he calls you his 

 old and dear friend, and speaks of how you 

 came to him with sympathy and relief, etc. 

 I go again to-night to my kind friend, Dr 

 Balfour. I was at Roslin on Saturday botanis- 

 ing with Balfour and his class." 



It will be noticed that the young enthusiast 

 speaks of the great men, when writing of 

 their scientific personalities, as " Balfour/' 

 " Hooker," etc., with the keen literary instinct 

 which makes one feel that titles Sir, Dr, 

 Mr are wholly out of place in connection 

 with such names. When he speaks of them 

 as personal friends, he falls into the usual 

 parlance of society. 



In a wood near Glasgow Tom found grow- 

 ing the Linnsea borealis, and being a devout 

 worshipper of Carl von Linne, took for his 

 cognisance the flower which bears his name. 



When a mere baby-boy his love of flowers 

 earned for him the pet-name of " Linne the 

 Little." 



He wrote to his father continually of science 

 and scientists. Society and the world were 

 nothing in comparison. 

 B 



