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in medicine. I succeeded perfectly everywhere during several months until spring came, and with it the study of botany; here, far from outstripping my fellow-students, I actually remained behind even those whom I was accustomed to look upon as poor, flat, mediocrities. The matter stood thus:—Besides attending the lectures on botany, the students are admitted twice a week to the botanic garden: there they find a metallic label with a number upon it: that number refers them to a catalogue where they find the respective names: these names they write out into a copy-book thus,—
| No. 1778 | . . . | Valeriana officinalis. |
| No. 9789 | . . . | Nepeta Cataria. |
| &c. &c. | ||
And having thus found out the names of a dozen of plants, they endeavour to commit them to memory in the best manner they can. Any one finds it tiresome, awkward, and annoying to look to the huge numbers upon the label, then to the catalogue, then to the spelling of the names, then to the copy-book, and after all to be allowed to remain there only about an hour twice a week, when the taking away with you a leaf may exclude you for ever from entering the garden at all. But I was peculiarly vexed and broken-hearted: I came to the garden tired out by other studies; I had a full
