ET. 28.] JOURNAL. 127 
of the Edinburgh garden, and the plants are not in 
such nice order, Loddiges was very kind to me. 
Ward selected a few pretty plants for Miss Hooker. 
I forgot for the moment that there was such a world 
of waters between us, and was on the point of selecting 
some for you know whom; I am not sure that I did 
not bring some after all. 
Loddiges took us to his house and showed his col- 
lection of humming-birds, which is the finest in the 
world, He had nearly 200 species, and usually sev- 
eral specimens of a kind, very beautifully mounted 
and arranged. You can’t imagine how beautiful they 
are! They are his great pets, and I do not wonder. 
I returned through the City, stopped a few moments 
at the British Museum, dined with Joe Hooker at his 
hotel near me, and shortly after saw him start for 
Glasgow. I sent by him a copy of ‘ Outre Mer” to 
Lady Hooker. At nine p. M. I went to the meeting of 
the Royal Society, heard a paper read of the Hon. 
Fox Talbot’s on the power of objects not only to sit 
for, but to draw their own portraits, which has just 
been making a great noise in France. Itis done by 
the influence of the light of the sun upon paper pre- 
pared by nitrate or chloride of silver. Talbot seems 
to have found out all about it long ago, but the French 
have published first. I will write the doctor more 
particularly about it, and send the ‘“ Athenzeum ” con- 
taining the account when it appears. 
I have neglected to say that I received two days 
ago a very kind note from Lindley inviting me to 
come down to his place, dine with him on Sunday 
next, stay all night, spend Monday at his herbarium, 
and meet a few botanical friends at dinner, and re- 
turn next morning. I declined of course the invita- 
