62 SOME AMERICAN MEDICAL BOTANISTS 



work, or Transactions; in which case I promise 

 to adopt the name. I wish to learn from you 

 what Dr. Garden has written in Botany, or what 

 he had discovered that I may make mention of 

 it." Garden gives evidence of his botanic tastes 

 in a letter to Ellis himself: 



" You will no doubt readily think that it is odd 

 in me, who live so far from the learned world, 

 to have such an avaricious desire after new cor- 

 respondents. I own it is really odd ; but I cannot 

 help it, and I think that nothing is a greater spur 

 to enquiries and further improvement, than some 

 demands from literary correspondents. I know 

 that every letter which I receive not only revives 

 the little botanic spark in my breast, but even in- 

 creases its quantity and flaming force. Some such 

 thing is absolutely necessary to one, living under 

 our broiling sun, else ce feu, cette divine flame, 

 as Perrault calls it, would be evaporated in a few 

 years, and we should rest satisfied before we had 

 half discharged our duty to our fellow creatures, 

 which obliges us, as members of the great society, 

 to contribute our mite towards proper knowledge 

 of the works of our common Father." 



The study of zoology, especially fishes and 

 reptiles, filled up the leisure left from a large 

 practice and botanizing ; and he kept up an active 

 correspondence also with Linnaeus, to whom he 

 sent large collections of fishes so well prepared 



