LEAVES FROM AN OLD DIARY. 
455 
the churchyard of his Rectory of Alburgh, by the remains of his 
beloved wife, who pre-deceased him in the year 1832. For these 
particulars I am mainly indebted to the Rev. J. W. Millard. 
Dr. Sutton was early attached to botanical pursuits, and to the 
study of Natural History in general as well as to antiquarian 
research ; he contributed a monograph of the genus Orobanche, in 
which lie established a new species Orobanche elatior (which had 
previously been confounded with 0. major), to the Linnean Society, 
which was published in their ‘Transactions’ for 1798 (vol. iv. p. 173), 
where he is described as “ B.D., A.L.S., Fellow of St. John’s 
College, Cambridge,” and Cotman’s Plate of the South doorway of 
Wimbotsham Church is dedicated to him. His first and friendly 
instructor in Botany was John Pitchford, a surgeon of Norwich, 
who Sir J. E. Smith regarded as one of his oldest botanical friends, 
and the only survivor in 1804 of the Linnsean School of Norwich 
Botanists (T.L.S., vol vii. p. 295), and of whom Dr. Sutton always 
spoke in the warmest terms. He was in frequent communication 
with Sir J. E. Smith, and of course had constant opportunities of 
interchange of ideas with his distinguished brother-in-law, William 
Kirby, the entomologist, during a long period of mutual esteem. 
It is not known that he published anything except what appears 
in the Linnean Society’s ‘ Transactions.’ Such was the man 
from wdiose too brief note-book the extracts which follow were 
taken. 
The note-book was only kept between August the 8th and 
October 22nd, 1800; August 5th and September 7th, 1801, and 
July 9th to August 9th, 1802, on which day the last entry occurs. 
It seems likely that he only recorded in it the events which occurred 
during his visits to his vicarage of Holme, in the autumn of each 
year; at other times he probably resided at Norwich. 
The first entry in the note-book refers to an abominable practice 
which, in spite of every precaution, prevails to a serious extent in 
the present day. After mentioning that Ficus medius or P. minor 
was seen upon the Plum tree before the parlour window under 
date of August 8th, 1800, he goes on to say : 
“ Dined with Mr. A. S. who told me that Mr. Brooks, the 
Bird dealer in Town, sends people into Norfolk to buy the Pheasants’ 
eggs at 2s. per doz : which he puts under hens at his villa near 
Town. Mr. Rolfe told him it was supposed 2000 eggs had been 
