1 94 Alexander Goodman More. 



just rained them down over Dublin, was, said one of the 

 company, the only tenable belief, and a full and unim- 

 peachable account of this great natural history marvel 

 would appear next day in all the morning papers. While 

 interest was concentrated on the subject, More drew from 

 his pocket a number of specimens, and laying one on his 

 plate easily cut it in two. " They are quite soft," he 

 explained, " after a little boiling. Here is the inside sec- 

 tion." And the " exact species of palm " was a secret no 

 longer, for there came a general exclamation, " Why, they 

 are oranges ! " 



A little narrative of his researches into the matter fol- 

 lowed. He had traced the oranges to a distillery, whence 

 they had lately been thrown out as useless from too long 

 storage. The rain, by washing them down-hill, had doubt- 

 less helped their dispersal. " But how," asked an incredu- 

 lous gentleman, "could they reach the roofs of the houses?" 

 " Oh, quite easily ! I am told that lots of little boys have 

 been using them as catapult-stones." 



One of the guests left early, and no account of the great 

 tornado appeared in next morning's papers. 



Christmas, 1866, he spent with his family at Leaming- 

 ton (it was a time of great frost, and famous skating) ; and 

 here, early in January, he received the welcome news of 

 his appointment as "first assistant naturalist" in the 

 Museum of the Royal Dublin Society. 



