and this friend I did learn the essential requirement for
a botanist, or any naturalist, - 'to cultivate the seeing
eye' - an ability, if that is the right word, which proved
advantageous in other circumstances also, provided one
also learns to be diplomatic!
Q. Has botany always been your main hobby?
A. I am not very happy about the word 'hobby' in this
context. Whilst botany has been my main interest, I have
delved into many disciplines in the natural history field,
particularly ornithology, bryophytes, Odonata, some groups
of diptera, mycetozoa, lepidoptera and phytophagous hymen-
optera. In brief, my interests have included anything
concerned with natural history and local history, too, All
these interests were stimulated, when, soon after starting
work, I was wandering in Epping Forest one week-end and met
a member of a natural history society - not the Field Club -
and subsequently joined the local branch. Here I met and
talked with persons with like interests to my own, and soon
learned from them a great deal more about all aspects of the
various disciplines. In a way we have returned to your
first question, I could not join the Field Club then,
although I became aware of its existence from my visits to
the Museum in the Romford Road, simply because I could not
afford the subscription which was then one guinea - a large
sum in those days, I managed to join eleven years later.
For much ths same reason, I could not obtain, say, Bentham
and Hooker, or any similar book and, although our local
librarian was most helpful, the books I wanted then were in
the Reference Section and could not be taken home to be
studied. I should add that in those days there was not the
plethora of books on natural history subjects that can be
found today,
Q. It is said that people interested in specific
disciplines of natural history, turn towards matters of
Conservation in general, later in life, Is this true in
your case, and have you any comments to make?
A. I do not think it is true in my case. I recall that
soon after joining the natural history society, one of the
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