He must have been almost morbidly modest, for Darwin wrote to Hooker (January 24th, 1864): "Remember my URGENT wish to be able to send the poor fellow a word of praise from any one. I have had hard work to get him to allow me to send the [Primula] paper to the Linn. Soc., even after it was written out!" And this was after the obviously genuine appreciation of the paper given in Darwin's letters. Sir George King writes:-- "He had taught himself a little Latin and a good deal of French, and he had read a good deal of English literature. He was certainly one of the most remarkable self-taught men I ever met, and I often regret that I did not see more of him...Scott's manner was shy and modest almost to being apologetic; and the condition of nervous tension in which he seemed to live was indicated by frequent nervous gestures with his hands and by the restless twisting of his long beard in which he continuously indulged. He was grave and reserved; but when he became interested in any matter he talked freely, although always deliberately, and he was always ready to deafen his opinions with much spirit. He had, moreover, a considerable sense of humour. What struck me most about Scott was the great acuteness of his powers of observing natural phenomena, and especially of such as had any bearing on variation, natural selection or hybridity. While most attentive to the ordinary duties of the chief of a large garden, Scott always continued to find leisure for private study, and especially for the conduct of experiments in hybridization. For the latter his position in the Calcutta garden afforded him many facilities. After obtaining a post in the Calcutta Botanic Gardens, Scott continued to work and to correspond with Darwin, but his work was hardly on a level with the promise of his earlier years. According to the "Journal of Botany," he was attacked by an affection of the spleen at Darjeeling, where he had been sent to report on the coffee disease. He returned to Edinburgh in the spring of 1880, and died in the June of that year. At the time of his death many experiments were in hand, but his records of these were too imperfect to admit of their being taken up and continued after his death. In temper Scott was most gentle and loveable, and to his friends he was loyal almost to a fault. He was quite without ambition to 'get on' in the world; he had no low or mean motives; and than John Scott, Natural Science probably had no more earnest and single-minded devotee." -correspondence with. -criticism on the "Origin" by. -letters to. -on Natural Selection. -on a red cowslip. -confirms Darwin's work, also points out error. -Darwin assists financially. -Darwin's opinion of. -Darwin offers to present books to. -Darwin writes to Hooker about Indian appointment for. -Darwin's proposal that he should work at Down as his assistant. -Darwin suggests that he should work at Kew. -on dispersal of seed of Adenanthera by parrots. -on fertilisation of Acropera. -a good observer and experimentalist. -a lover of Natural History. -observations on acclimatisation of seeds. -on Oncidium flexuosum. -letter to Darwin from. -offered associateship of Linnean Society. -on Imatophyllum. -on self-sterility in Passiflora. -on Primula. -on sexes in Zea. -mentioned.
Scrope, P., on volcanic rocks.
Scrophularineae.
Scudder, on fossil insects.
Sea, Dana underestimates power of. -changes in level of land due to those of. -marks left on land by action of.
Seakale, bloom on.
Seashore plants, use of bloom on.
Sea-sickness, Darwin suffers from.
"Seasons with the Sea Horses," Lamont's.
Secondary period, abundance of Araucarias and Marsupials during. -equality of elevation in British rocks of. -insects prior to.
Sections of earth's crust, need for accurate.
Sedgwick, Prof. A., extract from letter to Owen from. -letter to Darwin from. -on the "Vestiges of Creation." -and the Philosophical Society's meeting at Cambridge. -and the "Spectator." -Darwin's visit to. -Feelings towards Darwin. -on the structure of large mineral masses. -proposes Forbes for Royal medal. -quotation from letter to Darwin from. -suggested as candidate for Royal medal. -mentioned.