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a INTRODUCTION. 
of friends in that country, by whom he was held in high esteem, and who, though they might not share his 
tastes, could appreciate his devotion to them. To such, a brief notice of his life and labours will, I am 
assured, be acceptable, no less than to all men of science, who, whether or not they may labour in the same 
country and devote themselves to the same pursuit, look for some record of a man whose services will be 
deservedly praised so long as Botany is cultivated. I may add, too, that I hope Mr. Catheart’s example will 
yet find many followers amongst the members of that branch of the service to which he was so long attached,— 
a branch of which all the members have the means, and all, at one period or other of their career, the time, 
to devote to the advancement of some department of science, whether as amateurs or as students. 
The late James F. Cathcart was the youngest child of the Honourable David Cathcart, of Alloway, 
Judge in the Supreme Court of Session and Justiciary of Scotland; he was born at Edinburgh, 19th 
February, 1802, and educated at the High School of that city. In 1818 he was sent to Holland with a 
brother, an LL.D. of the University of Leyden, at the famous Botanic Garden of which ancient seat of 
learning he imbibed his first love of Botany. On his return to Scotland he met with the warmest en- 
couragement from his maternal grandfather, Dr. Mure, a botanist of considerable attainments, residing in 
Ayrshire, in whose house young Cathcart found an excellent Hortus Siccus and botanical library. His time 
was passed partly in Ayrshire and partly at Edinburgh, where he availed himself of the lectures of Dr. 
Jamieson, the Professor of Natural History, and Dr. Rutherford, the Professor of Botany. 
After being appointed to the Civil Service, Mr. Cathcart passed through the usual course of studies at 
Hayleybury; and before leaving for Calcutta in 1822 he spent some time in Paris, chiefly pursuing his 
favourite science at the Jardin des Plantes. 
In India Mr. Cathcart devoted all his hours of relaxation to the study of plants, birds, and insects, 
observing diligently, training his native servants to collect, and sending seeds home to his friends in exchange 
for books. His health, however, never robust, soon gave way, and he was early obliged to repair to the Cape 
of Good Hope, on sick leave. In 1888 he took advantage of his three years’ furlough to return to Europe, 
bringing with him a fine Hortus Siccus, which he presented to the Royal Botanic Gardens of Hdinburgh. 
Natural History still occupied him in his native country, and he devoted himself with peculiar pleasure to a 
re-examination of the woods, glens, and mountains of the south of Scotland. In 18385 he travelled in 
France, Switzerland, and Italy, spending the winter of 1835-6 in Rome, shortly after which he returned 
to Bengal. Here his health quickly failed him, and after a short visit to Dorjiling, he repaired a second 
time to the Cape of Good Hope (about the year 1839), where he remained nearly a year, diligently collecting 
minerals and plants. 
Towards the close of his long Indian career, Mr. Cathcart’s health gave way a third time, and he’ 
obtained leave to spend the last few months of his period of service at Dorjiling, intending to stay there for 
a year or more, if the climate suited him. His main object in doing this was to study at leisure the rich and 
varied flora of that then almost unknown portion of the Himalaya, and in the hope (as he afterwards told 
me) of forwarding my views, by employing his artists in illustrating the botany of that country, which he 
knew I was then exploring. 
Ra a 
