[Footnote 2: Dr. Hamel sought in vain at the Ashmolean Museum for some of the articles which the elder Tredescant brought home from Russia; among others, for an article occurring at p. 46. of the _Tredescant Catalogue_, described as "The Duke of Muscovy's vest, wrought with gold upon the breast and arms," which he thinks may have belonged to the Wojewode of Archangel, Wassiljewitch Chilkow. He however found nothing but the head of a Sea-diver, the remains of a whole bird described by Tredescant as a "Gorara or Colymbus from Muscovy:" the body seems to have shared the same fate as that of the Dodo. Another remarkable article occurring in the Catalogue is pointed out by Dr. Hamel, viz. "Blood that rained in the Isle of Wight, attested by Sir Jo. Oglander." This article, had it been preserved, he thinks might have proved of great scientific importance, as it is possible that it may have been some of that meteoric red dust which is recorded in the _Chronicle of Bromton_ as having fallen in the Isle of Wight in the year 1177. The words of the Chronicle are: "Anno 1177 die Dominica post Pentecostes sanguineus imber cecidit in insula de _Whit_, fere per duas hores integras, ita quod panni linei per sepes ad siccandum suspensi, rore illo sanguineo sic aspersi fuerant acsi in vaso aliquo pleno sanguine mersi essent." Sir John Oglander, whose attestation is mentioned, was the immediate descendant of Richard de Okelander, who came over with William the Conqueror. Tredescant most probably became known to him when gardener to the Duke of Buckingham, with whom Sir John was joint commissioner for levies in Hampshire.] "The more we examine the _Catalogue of the Museum Tredescantianum_," says Dr. Hamel, "the more we are astonished that it was possible for these _Gardeners_ (for such, we see, is the modest denomination the younger Tredescant assumes in his will) to get together so many and such various objects of curiosity, and to become the founders of the first collection of curiosities of Nature and Art in England." Such men, and their endeavours to promote a love for, and to advance natural science, deserved at least to have had their names perpetuated with their collection; and whatever may be the merits of Ashmole as an antiquary, notwithstanding I am one of the fraternity, I must confess that although he has some claim to consideration for having augmented the collection, the Tredescants rank far above him as benefactors of mankind.