194 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



keeping himself free of all narrowness, and ready to assist 

 in every work. He was for many years Chairman of the 

 School Board, and also was Chairman of the Managers of 

 the Leanchoil Hospital ; nor did he spare himself where he 

 could render service to any public cause. His death is 

 felt as a great loss to the community. 



Not robust in youth, his studious life told on his health, 

 which for a time was not satisfactory. Fortunately his 

 medical adviser, Dr. Innes of Forres, was interested in 

 natural history, and sent him, as the prescription best suited 

 to his needs, a botanical case and a flora, with the advice to 

 use both regularly. He did so and soon acquired a love of 

 natural history, and especially of plants, that grew ever 

 stronger and that enabled him to make valuable contribu- 

 tions to the study of the flora of the Province of Moray. 

 The early volumes of the " Scottish Naturalist " contain very 

 excellent lists by him of the ' Mosses found in the Vicinity of 

 Forres ' and of the ' Fungi of Morayshire,' and short botanical 

 notes. He aided others with his knowledge and with speci- 

 mens most willingly, and was recognised as one of the most 

 accurate mycologists in Scotland. The " Mycologia Scotica " 

 and " British Hymenomycetes " of the Rev. John Stevenson, 

 LL.D., and the "British Uredineas and Ustilagineae " of Dr. 

 Plowright bear testimony to the worth of Dr. Keith's 

 researches, as do also the well-known papers by Mr. 

 Berkeley in the " Annals and Magazine of Natural History." 

 He discovered a number of additions to the British lists of 

 fungi, of which some were new to science, and of which 

 Polyporus Keithii, B. and Br., and Peziza Keithii, Phil, com- 

 memorate him. 



He took a keen interest in the Forres museum, and con- 

 tributed both personal services and specimens to it. Despite 

 his age he took part enthusiastically of late years in the 

 work and excursions of a Field Club in Forres of which 

 he was president. 



In 1882 the degree of LL.D. was conferred on him by 

 the University of Aberdeen, in recognition of his merit as a 

 naturalist and of his public services. In 1899 Dr. Keith was 

 relieved from the active duties of his ministry, an assistant 

 and successor being appointed to the charge ; but he con- 



