, 1879-02-08

Samuel 6mllee' Ltie Of Robert Dick, Baker,
CcoluglAt, md Boiantst," Is fascinating
volume. only slightly inferior In Interest u bis
"l.llo of q Scotch Naturalist" tho great sue
ccss Of which doubtless suggested Ibis now
venture. Tie charm OF the stury Of Robert
Dicks !tfo ID two-fold, arising arst from his
scientific work, aud secondly from bis puro und
nubls character. Ills succsss was duo to
his owu unaided efforts. lie tnads him.
SELF, \ studunt Of Naturc traversing the
County Of Calthucss, in which ho lived, from
enl TO eud, and many times, until be had tho
most minute acquanrance With fts topoG Graphy,
lie was accustomed IL 10 on these walks after
his days work had been done, aud hc fscquent-
~ walked twenty, thirty, Or forty miles Ia tIlu
txcuty-iour hours, besldrs doing hls regular
bc brcatns 10 familiar with tbs iiora Of Calth-
nesa That he GUILD tell At Glance not opiy lhc
structurc aiid name OF every plant t,resrnted to
him for tnspectou, but gcnesallT also wheEo II
Ind 6eea pltitke1.
"A perxon whu made cons,dosabl preseuslous
to botautcal knowledge met hin uno day. n,ll
asked him whether the cuuntry produced any
Statrs artnfrta. Oh said Lick. IL you viii
ist n1 ss ,o Vii Iii sa G}sss sx S qs.d.ay 4 ySa A, A.
gentleman fund pretty flower gruwiog pro-
fuseiv In = ANAL strait = few intlrs Out ot
lburso. He toak y to Dick. 'Do you know
st IT, .s r. u It. i.,a fs: 4 os : rss as
kuuw iltatf tntcause It grows In Two or threu
noru places in Cultluess, but these are too fur
fot you to haYo beGn there to-day Another
called upon, .,, tim With st'ango flower, = layo
no said Dick. ! know 1t quito we'll. You got
Il uear shcbster, Indicating = s,nuil htIloek for
moor In Tug western patt OF the Parah ut
Ihur.o YEA ., ;sid tno Inquirer .nut how do
nowtlere else in caIthncss.'
Dick mastered In this manner The whole
botany Of Caithness. lie redlscovercd llls
Northern Holy Cresa, which had been put in
tile British List gu tlo authority OF Don, but
had dropped out hoeausc no uno else had found
II. Ihr itoyal Botanical Society gave him q
voto Of thallks foE shls service.
nsa si nts'Gn "ussa,S1: Mas Turned t. fs0oxy
fosstia tn TIC sandstone vi Calthpcss, anI found
them there tu great abundance, though tuluxnt
eeoloEists bud said thess Eueks were non-
tfosstl!fsro4s. iiu supplied many unisspR !iaks
new tniormat.ou TO tint geolovist that be was
Obliged ~ revise his books. lie sent specimens
Vi loasi! aAaee to Hugh Miller, ul4 particularly
sKiKaatie lloloptychius, discovered tn tho lo~st
tctl san1stune, wllcru II had been said 10 largo
| hshes could 9o found. Another dt.tn9uisAed
friend u Dtek'l was Sir kosirIlck Nurchlsou,
who vasitetl him 1t CaItlness, ami had lhe
privilege o. seeing the Insplrtl baker model the
geological formations Of GAilhncss iu lou1. a
Ntness Vi tlis remarkable Interview wFuLv VI il
alterwAfd Iu uie lolluwtpg wor1k:
~ tell It great prlyitego indeed 10 be
present at ilc meeting Ut thu barouct and Dick
tn lhe takehuuse. II wQa treat 10 No 10 ses
tue I'LL aud dacs, the socks an! ciis, maie up
with Hour, aud = likeness uf C4itIncts nodded
iu rrltef by ls ntinols fingers. liz tret4cu Ia
D1 ~ iAliillaf mth every loot u country, eysry
ifactuFu aud 1islucaLlon. and the readiness 4nt|
| ease with Which he communicated tic iptvft,a.
tlon greatly pleased ul surprised the renowned
| euotUglst, ul,I when he left lie place hu ex.
~ xRtS1t HAttpt1t nsu1 riap,