particularly favourable for concealment and retreat to the depredators who infested the groves, however, the voice of distress never appealed to J———— in vain, and he hastened over to examine whence it proceeded. Under a hedge of furze a little removed from the carriageway, he found a woman lying, apparently in the last agonies of struggling life. Three children were around her, all very young; the least of them being closely bound to her neck, and almost suffocated under her prostrate and convulsed form. Not a moment was lost,

J

hastily called to a man whom he just descried at some distance leading a cart, and between them they raised the woman, having with difficulty untied the child, and bore her-where? To the stable which was very nice, or to the shed where the cow had a plentiful allowance of clean straw? No, they bore her into the parlour where we were seated at work, and J-, shouting to us to draw the table back, laid her on the carpet just before the cheerful fire. A more ghastly object I had never beheld, she was in the worst paroxysm of epilepsy, her jaws firmly set, her eyes fixed, and her sunken cheeks covered with the foam which oozed from between her teeth. So dreadful was the spectacle that we had scarcely power to obey his eager directions in furnishing such cordials as were in the house, medical help being too far off for the emergency. By a process which he said was an unfailing one, he succeeded in unclosing the poor creatures jaws and administered some reviving cordial, but to such a state was she reduced by the aggra

vations of hunger, cold, fatigue, and the agony of a fond mother seeing her babes perishing around her, that it was long, very long, before any sign appeared to reward his zealous service. Those who stood around actually exhorted him to desist, lest any danger should accrue to himself from the contact, assuring him that she was past all possibility of recovery; but he persevered, and after a while he had the unspeakable delight of seeing her sit up on the floor, open her arms, and with wild cries of joy clasp to her bosom the children, who were devouring the food which J-, in the midst of his anxious attention to the mother, had ordered for them. He looked for a moment at the group with a countenance so radiant, and then at his watch, saying, 'I must send an excuse to the general, for I can never dress in time. No, I'll go at all events and beg for these poor creatures.'

reaped a

He dressed, and never, even to us, did he look so handsome as when from his hasty toilet he mounted his horse, and, while the white plume gleamed through the shades of evening, bent his noble form to give his parting directions about lodging the forlorn travellers. J harvest from the compassion awakened by his eloquent representation, and returned early to see that all was well. Next morning an experienced officer of the medical staff visited our cottage, and declared it to be an astonishing instance of recovery from the brink of the grave, giving infinite credit to his non-professional friend for the propriety, not less than the promptitude, of his remedies. In two days the poor woman was forwarded in a

comfortable waggon, with her three children, to the place whither she had been travelling in the hope of meeting her husband. A large basket was packed with tracts and small books, plenty of provisions were added, and a sum of money forwarded to the postmaster of the town. We had the inexpressible satisfaction a short time after of receiving the fullest testimony to the truth of the poor creature's touching story, with the happy addition that she had found her husband, who was settled as a shoemaker immediately after in that

place; while the basket of tracts formed the groundwork of a very useful and profitable little business for herself."

I shall conclude this brief tribute to the memory of Captain Browne by a copy of the lines inscribed upon his tombstone in Mullingar Churchyard. Strange to say his memory seems to be almost forgotten in the locality which was the scene of his sudden death. The passing tourist will have to search unguided for his last resting-place, but we know that "precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints."

meaning and unpronounceable names, will probably confess themselves fond of gathering plants. Some love to cull flowers, others to hunt for ferns, and others, again, to collect grasses. The mere mention of these things will awaken in the minds of many who read our pages a longing for green fields, shady lanes, and bosky dells; mingled, perchance, with a little impatience for the full bloom of spring or summer. We wish to appeal to such feelings, and to turn them to some account in the present paper; for what is "Outdoor Botanizing" but picking plants, with something more of knowledge and definite purpose than the gatherer usually possesses? Do not take fright at a few technical terms. Every language and every trade must needs have them; and what if every lad who is apprenticed to a watchmaker, or every lass who begins to learn French, were to give up in despair because a number of unfamiliar words had to be committed to memory and understood? Nay, our dear old English Bible and our holy religion have their technical terms, which we are learning, or have already learned, with more or less facility. Botany will prove just as intelligible, if we will only throw our fears aside, and be content to learn by degrees.

Our young friends, we will assume, are desirous of taking a first step in

ledge, can compare, for interest and benefit, with actual inspection of living plants. Things rank before words in natural science. Nevertheless, you would like to know what plants you do gather, we presume? And if so, it will be necessary for you to get a little assistance in naming those parts, or organs, which are common to plants in general-a task no more difficult than that which you accomplished (perhaps sixteen or eighteen years ago) in reference to the organs of your own little body. You know a leaf, a stem, a branch, and a seed; you should also learn to recognise a calyx, a corolla, a stamen, a pistil, a stipule, and a bract. This you may do, at an almost nominal expense, by the help of Mr. Cooke's invaluable little " 'Manual," hereafter to be mentioned. Having purchased the book, and read carefully at least some portion of its contents, it will be well to sally out in search of specimens. You will not find a great variety,—and this is, in some respects, an advantage : you will stand a better chance of identifying those which you do meet with.

For gathering you will require but cheap and simple implementsa digger and a tin box (called a vasculum), or a press. A "regular" digger may be had at the ironmonger's for about three shillings; but a common "spud" may be had for a few pence, and, with a short

wooden handle, will form a capital tool. A vasculum is a long tin box, which is strapped to the side of the collector like a telescope case; but a press has some advantages. It is made thus -Two pieces of mahogany, or some other wood which will not bend, are strapped together, and a quire or two of blotting-paper placed between them. Fifteen inches by eleven is a convenient size for the boards; and by means of a third strap the press may be easily carried. As soon as a plant is selected, it is carefully taken up-root and all, if not too large-with the digger, shaken free from mould, and laid between two half sheets of paper, in as natural a position as possible. The straps are then tightened, and the collector moves on.

The plants thus gathered will need to be preserved by drying and further pressure. The drying is accomplished by keeping the specimens between sheets of blotting, or "sugar royal" paper (the latter is very cheap) for some days, changing the paper several times, so as to remove all moisture. They are then fixed to sheets of cartridge or post, with gum or thin glue, and kept in a drawer supplied with camphor to keep out insects. But as the drying must be under pressure, the aforesaid boards, or two stouter ones of slightly larger dimensions may be used, the requisite pressure being given by screws and nuts, or by weights, such as bricks neatly packed in holland or brown paper. If the latter are used, a dozen or sixteen will be required.

Some plants preserve their colours in drying much better than others;

but in the eyes of a collector the specimens he has gathered with his own hands are always replete with beauty and interest.

Having gathered, pressed, and mounted his plants, the most important work remains yet to be done. We lose much of the interest pertaining to plant-collecting, unless we can ascertain what species they are which we have obtained. A few hints on the point seem therefore

necessary.

45

The best, because the most instructive plan, is to "puzzle out the names of your plants by your own unaided industry. Care and patience are the chief requisites; and all that is absolutely needed in the way of implements may be obtained at a very small cost. Mr. Cooke's little work, already mentioned; the late Mr. Notcutt's valuable "Handbook;" a sharp penknife, and á pocket magnifier,—these will form a sufficient stock-in-trade, though other works will, of course, prove helpful. The beginner must proceed cautiously, avoiding, above all things, "jumping to conclusions." Let him first master the different parts and organs of a plant, and then he will be prepared to allot a given specimen to its proper class, order, genus, and species in succession. And the pleasure of discovery, when he has succeeded, will be found a very real and encouraging pleasure indeed.

It is a good plan, when a sufficient number of specimens can be obtained, to pick duplicates of those which you press, and put them in water for examination, as it is not easy to investigate dried plants.