368 Botanical news. 



Ill ]iart 7 of the ' Vargasia,' or bulletin of the Society of Physical Science 

 and Natural History of the Caracas, our correspondent Dr. Ernst has com- 

 menced a paper on the more interesting plants of the country, giving special 

 stations for, or critical remarks upon, about 150 species, aud a full diagnosis 

 and popular account of his new genus of SenecionidecB, Libanothamnus, recently 

 proposed in a paper read before the Linnean Society. (See p. 207.) 



We regret to announce the death of Dr. Thomas Anderson, F.L.S., Superin- 

 tendent of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Calcutta. He was a devoted student of 

 Natural History at Edinburgh, and selected the East India Company's service 

 as likely to aflFord him opportunities for the prosecution of those studies, as it had 

 done to many others. On the occasion of Dr. Thomson's leaving Calcutta, Dr. 

 Anderson was appointed to the temporary charge of the Gardens, and after- 

 wards succeeded Dr. Thomson when he retired from his office. Nearly two 

 years ago he was compelled to return to England on account of dangerous ill- 

 ness, though his friends feared lest his strength should prove insufficient to bear 

 the journey. He reached his native land in a very weak state, but soon re- 

 covered sufficiently to enable him to prosecute his botanical work. He began 

 in earnest at the Flora of India, and there was good reason to hope that this 

 greatly desiderated Flora would ere long have been published. About three 

 months ago, however, he svifFered a relapse, which compelled him to interrupt 

 his labours, and to seek in quiet and rest tlie restoration of his health. He 

 never rallied, and on the 26th of October died at Edinburgh. He laboured 

 successfidly in establishing the Cinchona plantations in the North of India, 

 and published several interesting reports on the subject, abstracts of which 

 have been printed at different times in this Journal. Our pages also contain 

 an interesting account of tlie terrible cyclone which, in 1865, brought deso- 

 lation to the Gardens under his care. Besides these official communica- 

 tions. Dr. Anderson has published the following papers on systematic botany :— 

 " Florula Adenensis ;" supplement to vol. v. Linn. Soc. Journ. (1S60). " On 

 Sphcerocoma, a New Genus of Caryophyllem ;" Linn. Soc. Journ. vol. v, p. 15 

 (1861). " An Enumeration of the Species of Acanthacem from the Continent 

 of Africa;" Linn. Soc. Journ. vol. vii. p. 13 (1864). " On- a Presumed Case 

 of Parthenogenesis in a Species oi Aberia ;" 1. c. p. 67. " On the Identification 

 of the Acanthacea of the Linnean Herbarium ;" 1. c. p. 111. " An Enumera- 

 tion of the Species of Ceylon Acanthacece" in Thwaites' Enum. Plant. Zeyl. 

 p. 223 (1864). " Aphelandra ornata from Brazil;" Seemann's Journ. Bot. 

 Vol. II. p. 289 (1864). " On Two Species of GitttifercB ;" Linn. Soc. Journ. 

 vol, ix. p. 261 (1867). " An Enumeration, of the Indian Species of Acan- 

 thacecB ; " 1. c. p. 425. 



The death is announced, on September 7th, of Dr. Philipp Wirtgen, of 

 Cobleuz, well known as a critical botanist, especially amongst the Roses, Rubi, 

 MentJice, and Verbascums, and for his excellent ' Flora der Preussischen Rhein- 

 provinz ' (1857) and other works. 



Communications have been received from T. R. A. Briggs, M. C. Cooke, 

 Dr. Hance, A. Ernst, P. E. Kitchener, W. P. Hiern, R. Tucker, Prof. Thiselton 

 Dyer, J. Britten, Dr. Braithwaitc, Prof. A. Gray, Prof. M. A. Lawson, etc. 



