Biographical Notice of A. Jerdon, by Sir W. Elliot. 343 



collections. Hymenocetes do not, in general, require the 

 microscope, and there is no objection to give assistance in 

 that order." When it is remembered that Mr. Berkeley 

 was at the same time secretary to the Horticultural Society 

 and also edited the Gardener's Chronicle, such statements 

 speak volumes for the urbanity and kindness of the true 

 man of science in lending aid to humbler students ; but in 

 connection with the subject of this memoir their value con- 

 sists in showing the estimation in which Mr. Jerdon was 

 held by so eminent a naturalist, as a fellow-labourer in the 

 same field. 



But Mr. Berkeley was not his only correspondent. Among 

 his papers are many letters from the Rev. D. Bloxam, of 

 Twycross ; Mr. Frederick Currey, Blackheath ; Dr. Edward 

 Capron, of Shire ; and a few from Messrs. Cooke and 

 Worthington Smith. 



He also paid considerable attention to Bryology, on which 

 he corresponded with the late W. Wilson, of Paddington, 

 near Warrington ; and had made considerable progress in a 

 list of mosses of the district, which he was preparing for the 

 Club's Proceedings, his inability to complete which was a 

 frequent subject of regret during his last illness. In one of 

 his letters, Mr. Wilson begs him to send specimens of 

 Phascum recurvifolium, Hypnum heteropterum and flagel- 

 lare, and Anacalypta Clarkeana as a variety, and to give him 

 examples from the habitat of Buxbaumia aphylla*. He 

 also imparts the following instructions for observing, which 

 may be useful to some of our members : — " Mosses should 

 always be dissected in water. If a peristome, let it be cut 

 off transversely and the portion removed to another tablet 

 of glass and placed in a single drop or so of clean water. 

 Divide it into two portions lengthwise, and cover with a 

 piece of of glass; then view it under the microscope. If 

 bubbles of air or spores are in the way, they must be 

 removed and the object again covered with glass. For 

 dissecting tools you need only have a pair of Glover's 

 needles in light handles, properly tempered and sharpened. 

 Much depends on the kind of microscope employed : a 

 Hooker's microscope is the most convenient of any." De- 

 tailed instructions on the same subject likewise occur in 

 letters from Mr. Mudd and the late Dr K. Greville. 



Nor did he neglect the Lichen family of which he possessed 



* See preceding Vol. 



