478 Miscellaneous. 



afforded a most curious and entertaining, as well as a most useful 

 memoir. 



Mr. Don was married, and had a family of fifteen children, of 

 whom four sons still remain, who are eminent as botanists, as cul- 

 tivators, or as both. 



Professor David Don was born in his father's cottage at Doo 

 Hillock, in the year 1 800 ; and may be said to have been a botanist 

 and cultivator from his very infancy, having acquired a thorough 

 knowledge of these subjects under his father, who made the best of 

 all possible teachers ; and along with these studies, and afterwards, 

 he made himself acquainted with Latin, and acquired some know- 

 ledge of Greek and Hebrew, as well as those modern languages 

 which could be most serviceable to him in his pursuits. 



Mr. D. Don continued in his father's nursery until he made him- 

 self, while yet merely a lad, a botanist of no mean acquirements, — 

 we will not say pretensions, for few men, of anything like equal 

 capacity, have been so unpretending as Professor Don. 'Upon lea- 

 ving Forfar he went to Edinburgh, in order to enjoy a wider range 

 both of study and of occupation ; and while there had charge of the 

 conservatories and stoves in the grounds of Messrs. Dickson, brothers, 

 nurserymen at Broughton, in the close vicinity of that city, who 

 had at that time one of the best collections in Scotland. 



After remaining there for some time, Mr. Don removed to London, 

 where^his brother George then was, and engaged in the Physic 

 Gardens at Chelsea. Then, or soon after, the late Mr. Lambert, 

 one of the great encouragers of botanical science, was in want of a 

 librarian ; and Mr. Don's practical experience, general knowledge, 

 and suavity of manner, recommended him as amply suited for the 

 situation ; he accordingly went to reside in the town mansion of 

 Mr. Lambert, to the mutual satisfaction of both parties, and the 

 gratification of Mr. Lambert's scientific friends and the visitors of his 

 ample collection. This situation, and more especially the manner 

 in which the duties of it were discharged, brought Mr. Don into 

 general acquaintance with the higher classes of the botanical world ; 

 and soon after the death of Sir Joseph Banks, the illustrious Mr. 

 Robert Brown having resigned his office of Librarian to the Linnsean 

 Society and Curator of its Museum, Mr. Don was chosen as a 

 worthy successor to that first botanist of the age. 



In this new position, Mr. Don was found to be a most valuable 

 acquisition to the Society ; and his accurate knowledge and amiable 

 manners endeared him to all, while his numerous contributions to 

 science extended his name widely over the botanical world. 



About the year 1836, he was appointed Professor of Botany in 

 King's College ; which situation he held jointly with the Librarian- 

 ship of the Linnsean Society. 



He was seized with his last illness, in a serious form, in the end 

 of April, or the beginning of May. It may be regarded as a general 

 breaking up of the system, which assumed a topical character, and 

 defied the skill of the most eminent men. Though latterly his 



