54 A FORGOTTEN NATURALIST, 
he at an early period turned his attention to the more They instruc- 
tion of children in a rudiments of spelling and readin Hi 
‘Child’s First Book, or R eading made Easy,’ which was soon 
followed by ‘The Child's Second Book,’ had a large circulation, and 
‘‘ speedily superseded the ancient horn-books.” His wife dying in 
1791, he married again at the end of the following year, his second 
wife, with whom he did not live happily, being above him in social — 
position. In ae he a are the Natural History Society of EY 
of which he chairm the first meeting being held a 
Northfleet on Fa oly 13th, nae twenty-one persons were present. 
i 
"iy 
pp! 
o ® variety of subjects. Our interest in him centres in q 
botanical attainments, but he either published ba "prepared for — 
publication works on biography, topography, and natural history, — 
as well as two guide. books to parts of the River Thames, and 4 ; 
pamphlet entitled ‘The Sea Captain’s Assistant.’ The greater ~ 
part of Mr. Arnold’s volume consists of Pocock’s diaries, beginning © 
in 1811 and extending, with some gaps, to 1823, and these are full | 
of records of « phenological phenomena,” to use the modern phrase, 
as well as abounding in shrewd comments u upon things in gene eral. 
On Sept. 15, 1811, he visited ee where he “ found that madder 
was sete cultiy. ated, but now totally rooted up, it being a losing 
concern, as it took three years to bring it to perfection and much — 
trouble in getting up the roots, which ran four or five feet in ' 
