291 
§ 294. Death of Robert H. Brownne.—We have to mourn the 
loss of an ardent lover of botanical science, in the death of Robert 
H. Brownne, which occurred Feb. 15, 1879, by apoplexy. He was 
born in this city August 3, 1810. His father was a prominent ship- 
builder in the earlier part of the century, being the head of the 
firm of Brownne & Bell, who modelled and constructed for Robert 
Fulton the “Clermont,” the first steamboat which navigated the 
Hudson River. Young Brownne had an ardent thirst for knowl- 
edge, and made good use of the advantages which he enjoyed at 
the New York High School, in which he was educated, and in 
which he for many years held a position as teacher. That institu- 
tion was then under the charge of Dr. John Griscom and Rev. 
Daniel H. Barnes, both of them men of solid learning, “apt to 
teach,” and well versed in physical and natural science, which pre- 
vious to this period had been little taught in schools. ‘Their enthu- 
siasm in this direction and their personal magnetism gave most of 
their pupils a decided bent towards the study of nature. In early 
life Mr. Brownne was threatened with pulmonary disease, for which 
his physician prescribed active exercise in the open country. With 
the predilection acquired at school, it is not strange that he should 
now be led to take up botanical study as an additional incentive to 
the regimen prescribed. In 1833 he was elected a member of the 
N. Y. Lyceum of Natural History, and in 1837 he became its 
Recording Secretary, and continued to hold that office until a few 
years previous to his death. At the time of his entrance into this 
Society, its leading botanical members were Dr. Torrey, John Carey, 
Samuel T. Carey and Abraham Halsey, to whom soon after was 
added Dr Asa Gray—now so pre-eminent. Brought into constant 
association with such men, Mr. Brownne could not fail to profit by 
their fellowship, and he became throughly versed in the botany of 
the Northern and Middle States, But his attainments were not lim- 
ited to that field. He acquired a good knowedge of geology, 
mineralogy and conchology. His reading became extensive, and 
his acquaintance with bibliography and numismatics were not often 
excelled. After the dissolution of the N. Y High School, he was 
appointed principal of the parochial school of the Scotch Presbyte- 
rian Church, which position he held to the day of his death. His, 
reputation as an expert in mineralogy, conchology, bibliography 
and numismatics gave him wide employment in the work of arrang- 
ing and cataloguing collections and libraries. For the last 
twenty-five years he had acted as librarian for Robert L. Stuart of 
this city. He was also Secretary of the North-western Dispensary. 
Modest and unassuming in manner, with every solid virtue and 
Christian grace, his memory fs precious to those who 09 au 
Ht ae 
§ 295. Aspidium aculeatum in Pennsylvaninia.—During the 
summer of 1878, Mr. J. P. Crozer Griffith found this fern growing 
freely in a rocky glen near the south-western corner of Sullivan Co., 
Pennsylvania. This locality is in a region elevated nearly 2,000 
feet above tide, in latitude about 41° 15’. This is considerably 
farther south than has been noted for its occurrence in the United 
