1 66 Alexander Goodman More. [isei 



been made to the flora of Britain," it was proposed to 

 make the announcement with becoming prominence in the 

 new magazine, u Seemann's Journal of Botany," which 

 was about to start on its hopeful career in the first month 

 of 1863. An illustration of the plant, "the first ever pub- 

 lished," was drawn by Mr. Fitch, and Mr. More was to 

 write an account of his discovery to accompany the plate. 

 Few botanical tasks would have given him greater plea- 

 sure ; yet when the time came he was so ill as to be quite 

 unable to attempt it, and therefore asked Mr. Babington 

 to perform the office instead. Professor Babington's 

 interesting article " On Chara alopecuroides as a native 

 of Britain," with Mr. Fitch's coloured illustration as a 

 frontispiece, appeared in the "Journal of Botany" for July, 

 1863. 



Of the eleven months' interval between the discovery 

 of the Chara and its announcement there is little to record. 

 At every turn ill-health hampered his efforts. On the eve 

 of the meeting of the British Association at Cambridge he 

 wrote somewhat despondently to Mr. Newton (September 

 29th, 1862): 



MY DEAR NEWTON, Forgive my long silence. I am sorry to tell 

 you that I have been in very poor health all the summer, and this has 

 sadly interfered with both work and correspondence. ... I hope you 

 will enjoy the meeting of the British Association, which they say is to 

 be a very good one this year. Do let me know how the " Ibis" meet- 

 ing goes off. The bird-worshippers will no doubt muster well at Cam- 

 bridge, the original cradle of the fraternity. Alas ! how this reminds 

 one of a review* promised last spring, but which I was really quite 

 unable to perform. I assure you the recollection of this has quite 

 haunted me at times, and perhaps has been one of the reasons why I 

 have so long put off writing. As regards the Bird Cybele, I am afraid 

 there is not much progress to report, though I have usually written two 

 or three letters each week. It seems as if a point had been reached 

 beyond which the advance is very slow. 



What I now propose doing is to draw up a systematic list of the 

 desiderata, and send it round on the chance of getting some of the 

 deficiencies filled up. I do not well see what more can be done, unless 

 by some extraordinary good luck a Welsh ornithologist should turn up 

 at the last moment. I have pushed inquiries as far as I can in the 



Probably a review of " Ibis," vol. iii. 



