366 
DR. JOHNSTON’S LETTERS. 
—— an from the | morgen espe? | of | DrGeorge Johnston | . et 
oe his daughter sya nr se! — Carter | Edited by 
Sa ardy, Da Be Secretary t wickshire Naturalists’ 
Club ‘ etabe a. 1 David Douglas, 10 Pig Saad: | 1892 [8vo. cloth, 
547 pages and portrait}. 
It is a peculiar ‘adie to have the opportunity of noticing this 
most interesting volume, a worthy tribute to the memory of one to 
whom natural history, and particularly field natural history, owes so 
much as it does to the founder of the Berwickshire Naturalists’ Club, 
and through it, of all similar associations in the United Kingdom. 
Its pages teem with multifarious items of information, and auto- 
biographical details which reveal to us the genial character, active 
zeal, and scientific worth of Dr. George Johnston, of whom this 
superbly brought out volume will form a lasting memorial. The 
of interesting footnotes giving brief biographical particulars of the 
eminent personages to whom the letters were addressed. These 
include the names of Joshua Alder, Prideaux J. Selby, David Lands- 
borough, William Thompson (Belfast), Robert Hislop, John Fleming, 
C. W. Peach, C. C. Babington, Archibald Hepburn, Leonard Jenyns, 
e 
to persons, but extends to things as well. The early history 
of the various Societies and journals with which Dr. Johnston was 
intimately associated, such as the Annals of Natural History, the 
Ray Society and the Berwickshire Club, is here illustrated by 
many references. Then again, we have innumerable items 
relating to the numerous branches of natural science which claimed 
a share in Dr. Johnston’s uttention, for there were few, especially of 
the more recondite and less popular branches, which he did not 
touch at one time or other, and to him the old saying was most 
applicable that he touched nothing which he did not adorn. This 
will not be the last time on which we shall have occasion to refer to 
this book, for in nearly every branch of our ‘ Bibliography ’ it will be 
for some time necessary to quote it as authority for items of 
considerable local interest. For Dr. Johnston was a naturalist who 
could appreciate the local aspect of natural history, and far removed 
from the degenerate school which affects to slight the value of those 
numerous and detailed and careful observations on which ultimately 
rests the superstructure of generalisation in natural science. 
Naturalist, 
