12 Alexander Goodman More. [isso 



till noon having dissipated their fatigue, luncheon was 

 followed by a highly characteristic plunge in mcdias res : 

 "took out my gun, shot Sparrow-hawk, took Wood-white 

 butterfly, found Geranium sanguineum." 



The above-quoted note contains his earliest botanical 

 entry, and it was during his visit to Castle Taylor that he 

 first developed that interest in plants which so strongly 

 coloured his life. It had a very simple origin, for it was 

 from gathering specimens of the Irish wild flowers to send 

 home to his sister, who took pleasure in drying them, that 

 he was led to begin the study of botany this summer in 

 the west. 



The day after his arrival he took "a first lesson in 

 equestrianism," pronounced " pretty satisfactory," and 

 " found Dryas octopetala and the Bedford blue." Next 

 day (Sunday) in the course of an afternoon stroll, "heard 

 the Corncrake* and gathered Butterfly orchis." He had 

 no up-to-date Manual of Botany, and had to rely upon " an 

 old Withering," which at least did not overburden begin- 

 ners with a plethora of species. But very soon he found 

 himself sighing for thornier nutriment, and on August i6th 

 began his day's record with the entry, " At last I have 

 received Salter's paper on the Brambles. It seems a very 

 carefully written treatise, and I hope will prove useful. They 

 are a most difficult family to discriminate, but I hope a 

 little careful attention will enable me to master them." It 

 may be as well confessed that this hope proved " a little " 

 sanguine. 



Indeed, much botany of any sort was for the present 

 out of the question. Fishing, riding, coursing, shooting, 

 cricket-playing, butterfly-hunting so the long days sped 

 away good humour and high spirits lighting up every 

 page of the diary, not excepting that which tells of a cer- 

 tain severe fall " which brought me home limping, though 

 not too bad to join in an assault on the fruit garden, which 

 was carried on with great vigour until the parties engaged 

 were hors de combat}'' 



A few passages from the MS. will serve to illustrate the 



* In the Isle of Wight, and particularly near Bembridge and Ryde, the Corn- 

 crake is a very rare bird, except in autumn, when its " season of song " is over. 



