146 THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



Mr. Slaney suggested that shelter-houses should be provided in the public 

 parks and places, as well for shelter, as to enable liberal persons to pro- 

 vide treats for the poor. He would also call the attention of the noble 

 lord to the condition of Victoria Park. He had visited that park lately, 

 and he would venture to say there were very few seats or benches placed 

 there for the accommodation of the people. Lord J. Manners, replying 

 to Mr. Adams, said he had inspected the site of the new conservatory at 

 KeW, which he hoped would be of great public benefit. 



It is a happy thing that at last there is a chance of saving the noble 

 plants that have long been going to ruin for want of shelter at KeW. A 

 small vote would suffice, and that vote we have now but little fear of 

 seeing heartily acceded to. Lord John Manners has had full opportunity 

 of making himself acquainted with the nature of the case under the 

 personal counsel of Sir W. Hooker, and in the next session, should his Lord- 

 ship remain in office, he has promised to submit a vote for the purpose. To 

 this end the advice of Sir Charles Barry has been sought, in order that 

 plans and estimates may be prepared in good time, and we may now 

 hopefully look forward to the time when the trees and shrubs of tem- 

 perate climates, which need so little protection from the rigours of our 

 climate, will be as well cared for at Kew, as are the grand tropical plants 

 for which, hitherto, it has enjoyed so world-wide a fame. During a dis- 

 cussion on the subject, Colonel Sykes remarked, that while a conservatory 

 at Kew was a thing most essential to the maintenance of the collection, 

 he should also like to see Kew become a school of science for botanists, 

 and enable them to give the public the result of their scientific researches 

 in all parts of the world. It is a school of science for botanists, and 

 is fast becoming a school of science for the people, thanks to the indomitable, 

 yet quiet energy of its master spirit, Sir William Hooker, the first botanist 

 in the world. 



Dr. Robert Brown, D.C.L, F.R.S., &c, the great botanical explorer, died at his 

 house in Dean-street, Soho, on Thursday the 10th of June. Dr. Brown was a 

 true successor to Linnaeus, an original worker in the great fields of botanical 

 science, and the nominee of Sir Joseph Banks in the survey of the Australian 

 Coasts, in 1801. Many of the choicest Australian plants in our collections, 

 date their origin from the voyage of the " Investigator," in which Mr. Brown 

 was sent out in the capacity of naturalist, when for the first time, the wealth 

 and peculiarities of the Australian flora were fairly made known to Europe. 

 During the three weeks devoted to the survey of the harbour of King George's 

 Sound, Mr. Brown collected no fewer than 50U plants, the great majority of 

 them then new to science. After numerous other expeditions, Mr. Brown 

 became librarian to Sir Joseph Bauks, in 1811 ; subsequently librarian to the 

 Linnasan Society, and, after the death of Sir Joseph Banks, he became, b}' his 

 will, the possessor of the Banksian herbarium for life, after which, it was to 

 pass to the British Museum. Mr. Brown at once offered the collection to the 

 Museum, and was appointed its keeper, with a salary ; and among the curiosities 

 of that herbarium Ave have many a time, years gone by, enjoyed his kindly 

 conversation, and received his freely-given instructions. For some years Mr. 

 Brown held the office of President of the Lmnaean Society, which he resigned 

 in 1853. Last spring he became afflicted with bronchitis, recovering from 

 which, he was attacked with dropsy, under which he gradually sank, and 

 finished his career in peace, with scarcely any pain. He was born at Montrose, 

 December 21, 177:J, where his father was a clergyman of the Scottish Episco- 

 palian Church. 



