246 LONDON AND CAMBRIDGE. .ETAT. 27. 



tiles. I have forgotten to mention Mr. Lonsdale,* who gave 

 me a most cordial reception, and with whom I had much most 

 interesting conversation. If I was not much more inclined 

 for geology than the other branches of Natural History, I am 

 sure Mr. Lyell's and Lonsdale's kindness ought to fix me. 

 You cannot conceive anything more thoroughly good-natured 

 than the heart-and-soul manner in which he put himself in 

 my place and thought what would be best to do. At first he 

 was all for London versus Cambridge, but at last I made him 

 confess that, for some time at least, the latter would be for 

 me much the best. There is not another soul whom I could 

 ask, excepting yourself, to wade through and criticise some 

 of those papers which I have left with you. Mr. Lyell owned 

 that, second to London, there was no place in England so 

 good for a Naturalist as Cambridge. Upon my word I am 

 ashamed of writing so many foolish details ; no young lady 

 ever described her first ball with more particularity." 



A few days later he writes more cheerfully : " I became 

 acquainted with Mr. Bell, f who to my surprise expressed a 

 good deal of interest about my Crustacea and reptiles, and 

 seems willing to work at them. I also heard that Mr. Broderip 

 would be glad to look over the South American shells, so that 

 things flourish well with me." 



About his plants he writes with characteristic openness as 

 to his own ignorance : " You have made me known amongst 

 the botanists, but I felt very foolish when Mr. Don remarked 

 on the beautiful appearance of some plant with an astounding 

 long name, and asked me about its habitation. Some one 

 else seemed quite surprised that I knew nothing about a Carex 



* William Lonsdale, b. 1794, d. 1871, was originally in the army, and 

 served at the battles of Salamanca and Waterloo. After the war he left 

 the service and gave himself up to science. He acted as assistant secre- 

 tary to the Geological Society from 1829-42, when he resigned, owing to 

 ill health. 



f T. Bell, F.R.S., formerly Prof, of Zoology in King's College, London, 

 and sometime secretary to the Royal Society. He afterwards described 

 the reptiles for the zoology of the voyage of the Beagle. 



