JOHN WOOD 120 



Ohituary. 



John Wood. 

 (Foiiiidatioii Member of t^.A. Biological Society i. 



liy the death of Mr. John Wood of East London on 

 The 28rd December, 11)18, the Biological Society lost one 

 of its strongest supporters, and South Africa one of her 

 most valued citizens. 



Born in Scotland some GO years ago, Mr. Wood adopted 

 Banking as a profession and after his arrival in Soutli 

 Africa held important posts in the Bank of Africa at 

 Paarl, Kimberley, Johannesburg and East London, but 

 about a dozen years ago he resigned his post as local 

 manager of the Bank at East London to take over the 

 control of the South African branch of McDougall Bros , 

 the well-known manufacturers of sheep and cattle dip. 

 Although this is not the place to speak of Mr. Wood's 

 business capacity it may be remarked in passing that this 

 position, which he held up to his death, was one peculiar- 

 ly suited to his gifts and there are many farmers through- 

 out the length and breadth of the sub-continent who 

 grateftilly recall his sound practical advice and scieotilic 

 skill in dealing with stock diseases and plant pests. 



Natural History — in the widest sense — attracted him 

 from an early age, for while yet but a youth in Scotland 

 he was spending his liolidays ti eld-glasses in hand in the 

 woods and moorlands, and his evenings with the micro- 

 scope investigating the minuter forms of life found in the 

 lochs and streams of his beloved Perthshire. 



Just what South Africa with its teaming wealth of 

 plant and animal life meant to one of his temperament 

 can be guessed and he threw himself into the study of 

 that wealth with a disinterested enthusiasm Avhich is 

 regrettably rare. He wrote comparatively little md it 

 is only A\hen one reads the South African scientific 

 literature of the past 2.j yeai-s and finds his name con- 



