MEMOIR OF DR. BEVAN. 
145 
Style peculiarly neat and appropriate; and we cannot withhold from our readers 
the terms in which it is spoken of by one of its reviewers;—“ The dedication is 
a singularly felicitous production, affords a fair sample of the author’s literary 
qualifications for his task, and as it is further recommended by its brevity, 
we make no apology for quoting it.” Having presented his readers with a 
transcript of it, the reviewer concludes thus :—“ In the collection of his materials, 
materials of the most curious and interesting character. Dr. Bevan has laboured 
with a degree of industry that would do credit to the little insect subjects of his 
book." This work, with the exception of an occasional contribution to the 
periodical press, is all that the Doctor has ever published; but in the year 1822 
he assisted his friend the late Samuel Parkes, Esq., in a revision of the third 
edition of his Rudiments of Chemistry. 
In 1833 he joined that enlightened band of naturalists by whom the Entomo¬ 
logical Society was established, entering it as an original member; but his distance 
from London has prevented his attendance on more than one of its sittings. 
His personal expenditure is in all respects moderate, his diet of the simplest 
kind, his hours early, still rising at six; and, like his preceptor, Abernethy, he 
has for many years regularly taken a siesta after dinner. This was at all times 
his sovereign restorative. After the greatest fatigues of his laborious profession, 
to stretch his weary limbs on the carpet, for ten or fifteen minutes, at the feet of 
his wife, with her footstool for his pillow, would enable him to resume his toils far 
better than any internal cordial; and even now he finds his afternoon nap as 
refreshing as his night’s repose, and a necessary stimulant to his invariable 
practice of reading aloud, for a couple of hours, to his family, after their afternoon 
coffee. The time which he devotes to study, as being the freest from interruption, 
is from six to eight in the morning, and an hour or two after he has retired for 
the night; that between breakfast and dinner has been chiefly appropriated to 
his extensive correspondence, his garden, and the fields. 
Although playful, and even jocund, amongst his intimate friends, he is reserved 
towards strangers, and has never been able to subdue his repugnance to pro¬ 
miscuous society; generally avoiding engagements which would interfere with 
his ordinary habits. Though not possessing a robust constitution, his health 
has suffered few interruptions. His temper is remarkably placid; and if not 
impervious to annoyances, he is seldom excited to anger. It is pleasant to 
Contemplate him in the unostentatious retirement to which his boyhood aspired ; 
and in our wishes for his long, very long enjoyment of it, we cannot forbear 
the reflection that the attainment of our desires might cease to be so rare a 
felicity if, like Dr. Sevan’s, they were rationally and virtuously based. 
