1 1 8 The Naturalist of Cumbrac. 



CHAPTER XL 



BOTANY LITERATURE. 



IN the year 1845, or about that time, Robertson 

 became desirous of knowing the names of some of 

 the mosses which he had long observed and admired 

 and frequently gathered.. With this object in view 

 he called on a Dr. Rattray, a botanist of distinction 

 and likewise an enthusiastic freemason. He arranged 

 that the learned doctor should come to his house on 

 one or two nights in the week, and give him an 

 hour's lesson on mosses. 



At that period shops in Glasgow did not shut 

 so early as they do at present. Robertson and 

 McDougall closed at 10 p.m. But the doctor made 

 no scruples about the time of night for coming. It 

 was often well after midnight before he went away, 

 for when he began one of his stories, of which he 

 had many, he would tell it out to the end, no matter 

 how long it took, and it was sometimes one or two in 

 the morning before he left. Of the hours thus spent, 

 it was seldom much that was devoted to bryology. 

 The truth was, that mosses were not his forte, and 

 he strongly advised his pupil to give them up and 

 study the flowering plants instead, and not, as he 

 put it, to begin at the roof in building the house. 



