Annual Meetings. 203 



about one hundred and fifty of the most remarkable . 

 exhibits, first the Latin, and then the English, often with 

 some little remark upon their nature or place of growth. 

 The accuracy of his naming was not more remarkable 

 than the correctness of the pronunciation, showing how 

 mistaken is the popular notion that the Latin or scientific 

 names of plants are harder to learn than the English 

 ones. Percival having concluded, his place was taken 

 by John Nowell, of Todmorden, who similarly named a 

 quantity of mosses, and w T hen these were finished a box 

 of beautiful ferns was opened by Mr. Tom Stansfield, of 

 the same town, and the contents disposed of in the same 

 manner. If any difference of opinion arose as to the 

 correctness of a name, the specimen was handed about 

 for criticism, but it rarely happened that either of the 

 three spokesmen had made even so much as a slip of 

 the tongue. The plants* having all been named and dis- 

 tributed, some routine business was transacted, and the 

 meeting, as to its formal part, broke up, having lasted 

 very nearly three hours. The remainder of the evening was 

 spent, like the commencement, in friendly chat. This was 

 in many respects quite as interesting as the regular busi- 

 ness, the opportunity being afforded for intimate converse 

 with one after another of two hundred as thoroughly 

 good-hearted and intelligent men as ever met together, 

 full of anecdote of themselves and their companions, 

 never vainly putting forth their knowledge without call 

 for it, but never allowing the slightest error to pass 

 unchallenged. No discussions of learned doctors were 



