6o OBITUARY NOTICES. 



Society of Arts in 1897 awarded him the Albert Medal " for services he 

 rendered to the United Kingdom by affording to engineers engaged in the 

 water supply and the sewage of towns a trustworthy basis for their work by 

 establishing and carrying on during nearly 40 years systematic observations 

 (now at over 3,000 stations) of the rainfall of the British Isles, and by record- 

 ing, tabulating, and graphically indicating the results of these observations in 

 the annual volumes published by himself." In 1891 he was made a Chevalier 

 of the Legion of Honour. 



His energy in the pursuit of physical truths and his capacity for 

 organizing and retaining the services of his helpers, as well as of stimulating 

 the interest of beginners in his favourite studies, were combined with great 

 kindliness of disposition and unaffected reticence. By none will he be more 

 regretted than by the rank and file of his small army of 3,000 observers. 



Mr. Symons married in 1866 Miss Elizabeth Luke, who helped him very 

 considerably in his clerical work. The only child of the marriage died in 

 infancy, and Mrs. Symons died in 1884. 



His death took place on Saturday afternoon, March loth, 1900, at his 

 house in Camden Square, after an illness of little over three weeks. Although 

 suffering somewhat from overwork he appeared to be in a fair state of health 

 until February 14th, when he was seized with paralysis, from which he never 

 rallied. He was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery on March i6th, after a 

 Memorial Service had taken place at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, at 

 which a large number of friends, and many eminent representatives of science 

 were present, including Lord Lister, the President of the Koyal Society. 



A Committee was formed in June, 1900, to establish a memorial to Mr, 

 Symons, in the form of a Gold Medal to be awarded from time to time by the 

 Council of the Royal Meteorological Society for distinguished work in con- 

 nection with meteorological science. We understand that this object has 

 been attained and a sum of about /750 collected. 



THE LATE MR TOM HAY WILSON. 



Readers of the Essex Naturalist will regret to hear of the death of 

 Mr. T. Hay Wilson, in his 6oth year, on May loth, 1900, at Bushey Herts. 



A native of Newcastle-on-Tyne, and long a resident there, he settled in 

 the London district more than twenty years ago. He was for many years 

 connected with, and latterly a member of, the firm of Crossley Bros., the 

 manufacturers of the Otto gas engine. He became a member of the 

 Geologists' Association in 1881, and contributed to Proc. Geol. Assoc, vol, 

 xi., p. 194 (1889), a short paper entitled " Notes on the artificial unmaking of 

 Flints." In this paper he gives his experience of " the behaviour of Flint 

 Shingle when exposed to the action ot hot gases, and the following destructive 

 agents: percussion, attrition, heat, with pressure, moisture, and acid." The 

 gases are those discharged from the cylinder of a gas engine. They are 

 driven through a chamber filled with shingle ; the gases entering at the 

 bottom of the chamber and escaping quietly through a ventilating pipe at the 



