MEMOIRS OF THE LATE WILLIAM CURTIS. XXVii 
The plan being completed, and the plants from his 
Lambeth Marsh Garden being arranged in it, the constant 
desire of procuring additional species, and propagating for 
extensive dissemination those possessed, was one source of 
active and profitable amusement. His old pupils situated 
in every part of the kingdom were pleased to keep up a 
friendly correspondence with him; and the discovery of 
native plants, which are thinly scattered over the face of 
the country, or living specimens of rare hardy exotics, often 
gave them an opportunity of increasing his collection, and 
gratifying themselves, with a renewal of his former friend- 
ship. The works which he then periodically carried on 
continued also to occupy a portion of his time. Still his 
active mind was constantly planning improvements on the 
then deficient parts of the Natural History of this country; 
and his preparations of drawings and deseriptions, whether 
of plants (especially in cryptogamia), quadrupeds, birds, 
fishes, or insects, were now become very numerous, but not 
complete enough, to his mind, to enter into such an ar- 
rangement, as his ardent wishes aspired after. He made a 
journey to Settle, in Yorkshire, to explore the native plants, 
&e. of the hilly country around that part of the kingdom ; 
from whence he brought some excellent gleanings ; and 
afterwards to Mersea Island, on the Essex coast, during 
the season for taking wild fowl. Here he had an oppor- 
tunity of gettmg excellent specimens of the scarcer water 
fowls which migrate, and only visit our shores in the most 
intemperate of seasons ; at which place, the incredible num- 
ber of them would astonish any one not acquainted with the 
subject. Here, with Edwards at his elbow, was a scene of 
enjoyment to him; and a great quantity of drawings were 
made. He also entered minutely into the mode of taking the 
young oysters (called here the Spat), by dredging for them, 
which are afterwards laid on mud beds, flooded by the sea 
