HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



127 



class of study has developed. The most careful and 

 painstaking, if not actually the only, English student 

 of these lower forms of life in the " forties," was 

 Mr. John Ralfs, who, in spite of his eighty-two 

 years and the infirmities of old age, still possesses a 

 keen and strong interest in all botanical matters. 



To the Edinburgh Botanical Society, at that time 

 the most important body of its kind in the world, 

 belongs the honour of having had read at its meetings 

 a series of unusually interesting and original papers 

 on Desmids and Diatoms. These papers, contributed 

 at the suggestion of the Rev. M. J. Berkeley, contained 

 the results of Mr. Ralfs' painstaking and minute 

 enquiry into the nature and attributes of these two 

 orders. From the almost entire absence of any 

 systematic arrangement, they were naturally in a 

 most chaotic state of nomenclature. The difficulties, 

 therefore, with which Mr. Ralfs had to contend were 

 of an exceptional character. In addition to this, the 

 desmidise had been for some time a' common territory, 

 claimed both by zoologist and botanist. When in the 

 elementary stage of his studies, Mr. Ralfs considered 

 that the desmids properly belonged to the animal, 

 and diatoms to the vegetable, kingdom. Careful 

 observation alone caused him to reverse' his opinion, 

 and to regard the position of diatoms as doubtful, 

 having, as they had, as much right in the one king- 

 dom as in the other. 



Edinburgh in particular, but Scotland generally, 

 possessed during the " forties " a botanical constella- 

 tion, which, whether for fame or ability, has probably 

 never been eclipsed. There were, for example, 

 Hooker the elder. Walker Arnott, Balfour, Leighton, 

 Dickie, Graham, and many others with a universal 

 fame. They were, moreover, men who heartily 

 appreciated Mr. Ralfs' labours, and it is due to their 

 memories to state that the courtesy with which they 

 received some of his startling, and at that time 

 revolutionary, theories in reference to these organisms, 

 was only rivalled by the unanimous approval that 

 scientific men at home and abroad welcomed the 

 result of his labours, even where his itheories were 

 not immediately accepted. Mr. Ralfs' first ; paper 

 was read at the Edinburgh Botanical Society on 

 February loth, 1842, Professor Graham in the chair. 

 It was entitled "A Paper on four new Species of 

 Desmids." 



It may be here pointed out that Mr. Ralfs was 

 born at Millbrook, Southampton, September 13th, 

 1807, and that he studied medicine, walked the 

 hospitals, and in due course became a properly 

 certificated surgeon. Possessing, however, a com- 

 petency, which would have been very considerable 

 but for the scandalous betrayal of a trust by a near 

 relative, Mr. Ralfs does not appear to have ever 

 regarded his profession as a primary means of liveli- 

 hood. Botany, forming an essential part of his 

 medical curriculum, soon developed into a speciality 

 with him. And it was the thoroughness with which 



he had entered into the subject that caused one of his 

 examiners in surgery — noted for his severity and 

 "flooring" proclivities — to not only compliment the 

 young student, but to predict that some day he would 

 be known as an eminent botanist. It is almost need- 

 less to say that this prediction has been verified. 

 Even at the present moment Mr, Ralfs has an abun- 

 dant store of anecdotes relating to his student-days — 

 of times, in fact, which carry us back to the stirring 

 period which preceded the great Reform Bill, 



Mr, Ralfs' first literary work of importance was 

 published, by subscription, in 1839, by Longmans. 

 It is an analysis, after the method of Lamarck, of the 

 "British Phrenogamous Plants and Ferns;" and 

 from the list of subscribers it will be inferred that 

 Balfour, Graham, Hooker, and other eminent Scot- 

 tish botanists knew of his abilities : Hooker's name 

 is down in the list for two copies. This little analysis 

 was favourably received, and although it is based on 

 the essentially artificial system of Linnaeus, the 

 writer of this paper can testify, after several years' 

 usage, as to its accuracy, conciseness, and perspicacity. 



That Mr. Ralfs was regarded as a botanist of 

 considerable promise may be inferred from the follow- 

 ing facts. In 1 841 the Professorship of Botany at 

 Glasgow became vacant through the resignation of 

 Dr. W. J. Hooker. Among the candidates were 

 Dr. J. H. Balfour and Dr. G. A, Walker Arnott, 

 equally able and competent men. Both were corre- 

 spondents of Mr. Ralfs, and each applied to him for 

 a " testimonial." Balfour's application arrived first, 

 and it was, of course, promptly answered. When 

 Arnott's came, the only thing which Mr. Ralfs could 

 do was to give him a similar recommendation, stating, 

 however, that Mr, Balfour had previously requested 

 such, but that as the attainments of each were very 

 high he could not refuse the one at the expense of 

 the other. Balfour secured the appointment, and 

 retained it until 1845, when, succeeding to the 

 vacancy caused by the death of Graham at Edinburgh, 

 his former rival Arnott was elected to the Glasgow 

 post. Arnott was an unquestionably clever botanist, 

 but dogmatic obstinacy was his besetting sin. His 

 controversial quarrels were not often dignified, and, 

 when driven into a corner, he became abusive over 

 very trifling matters. 



Mr. Ralfs' contributions to the Edinburgh Botani- 

 cal Society range over a period of rather more than 

 ten years, i.e. from 1843 to 1854 ; and although these 

 contributions are only about one dozen in number, 

 it must be remembered that in some instances one 

 paper was read in four or even more instalments. 

 Abstracts of these papers were published at the time 

 in the "Gardeners' Chronicle," and other scientific 

 periodicals. Mr. Ralfs had no immediate or remote 

 ideas of publishing a monograph on either the des- 

 mids or the diatoms. It became, however, tin fait 

 accompli, through the following circumstances. 



Shortly after Mr. Raifs commenced contributing to 



