PREFACE. V 



only too much needed, since already one of our hand- 

 somest flowers, the Geranium Phceum, or Dusky Crane's 

 Bill, has disappeared, or nearly so, from a habitat 

 in which we had discovered it some three years ago ; 

 and we could name several other flowers which are 

 incurring a similar peril. We hear that, among others, a 

 London Botanist has even made a raid on the beautiful 

 but rare Fritillarias which lend such interest to one or 

 two localities in the neighbourhood of Pinner. We 

 cannot avoid these depredations, but we hope that every 

 Harrovian who studies botany may be so much impressed 

 with the injury done to any neighbourhood by extirpating 

 one of its scarce plants, that he would forego any speci- 

 men, however choice, rather than run the risk of giving 

 a flower no chance of fairly establishing itself. The 

 spirit of the same remark applies with at least equal 

 force to the practice of robbing the nests of our rarer 

 birds. Much might be done to preserve these interesting 

 visitors if we were only content to treat them with a little 

 more hospitality ; and no one can pretend to a real love 

 for Natural History unless he does his best to suppress 

 that ruthless and wholesale robbery of nests which is 

 systematically carried on by some boys of the neighbour- 

 hood. If it continues we shall soon lose from Harrow 

 even the Nightingales which now furnish one of the most 

 delightful enjoyments of our summer days. 



F. W. F. 



HARROW, JUNE, 1864. 



