THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST. 



225 



dies. These are not made of the real ster- 

 ling stuff which makes a naturalist. Mr. 

 Gregson says, " Naturalists are born and 

 scholars are made," and it is very true. 

 That impuls3 -which prompted Varley to 

 jump from his mother's arms to the flies on 

 the window-pane stuck to him through his 

 whole life. Neither poverty, nor sickness, 

 nor care could drive it out, his love for j 

 nature was always the first thought in his 

 mind. When sickness over-took him, as it 

 often did, he would not give in, he would 

 tramp miles and miles to the haunt of a 

 favourite moth, and it was only at the very 

 last when he was utterly unable to go, that 

 he would submit to be confined to his bed, 

 and even then his mind was still engaged in 

 active work. The sight of a naturalist 

 friend would cheer him to new life. Even 

 but a few weeks before his death, while he 

 lay in bed almost beyond hopes of recovery, 

 he wrote off to a well-known dealer in 

 natural history, to send him a parcel of 

 bird skins towards completing his collection. 



When Varley had become advanced in 

 in years, and having no one in his own 

 family interested in natural history to fol- 

 low up his studies, he was desirous to dis- 

 pose of his collections. He first sold his 

 collection of eggs, and and afterwards he 

 sold his moths, and although for some 

 time before his death he was anxious to 

 dispose of his collection of birds, his interest 

 never flagged, and even while trying to sell 

 it he used every effort to make it more 

 complete. 



It has already been said that Varley, like 

 a good many other naturalists, was self- 

 taught, yet he was fairly well learned. For 

 a good many years before his death he was 

 a member of the Huddersfield Naturalists' 

 Society, nearly always on the Council, often 

 Vice-President, and twice the President. 



There is not a shadow of doubt that 

 Varley's love of nature, which gave him a 

 cheerful disposition and enabled him to 



bear trials well, and which took him so 

 much into the country, added many years 

 to his life. He was often overtaken by sick- 

 ness, and ten years before his death the 

 writer heard the remark that " Varley was 

 shot, fall when he will;" but he doctored 

 himself with herbs and diet, and rallied 

 again and again, where many would have 

 fallen victims to disease. But the time 

 comes for all, and a tumour in his stomach 

 gave the finishing stroke to his life. His 

 wife being dead and his son being away 

 from home during the day. he had no one 

 in the house but himself. Sick in bed and 

 unable to get up, he, no doubt, was given 

 to ponder too much upon his position and 

 his mind temporarily gave way. For many 

 of his neighbours, especially those who sold 

 or indulged in drink, he had a profound 

 contempt, and when one was brought in to 

 attend him during the day, Varley became 

 quite unmanageable, and it was found neces- 

 sary to remove him to the Wadsley Bridge 

 Asylum. As they took him up the Asylum 

 yard he saw a magpie, and some ferns grow- 

 ing in the grounds, his old love for nature 

 came to the top, and he began to give 

 his attendants a lecture about the birds and 

 plants. Under proper treatment, his mind 

 was soon restored, but his physical weak- 

 ness rendered his recovery impossible, and 

 he gradually sank and died on the 7th of 

 January, 1883, at the age of 65 years. He 

 was buried at the Almondbury Cemetery, 

 and carried to his grave by some of his 

 nearest and dearest naturalist friends, and 

 laid in his last resting place by those who, 

 for a long time, will cherish the remem- 

 brance of a true friend. 



It now only remains for the writer to 

 thank those of his friends and relativss for the 

 notes with which they have most obligingly 

 supplied him for the purpose of compiUng 

 this short sketch, and he would impress 

 upon all young men and young women that 

 while Varley found in the wild field of 



