266 CHARLES CAEDALE BABINGTON. 



btiident of the first class in the Natural Science Tripos, observing 

 a specimen of (what I will call X) in his drawing-room, on learning 

 the name cried, ' So that is really X ? I know all about that ; 

 I guessed it would be set, and it was.' Science which cannot see 

 the wood for the trees, growing herb or animal for cell laid bare by 

 scalpel, had for him no charm. His joy in Nature was the joy of 

 a child." On one of his few visits to the Botanical Department of 

 the British Museum he told us with much relish a story which may 

 be a variant of the foregoing — how a young lady, coming into his 

 room and seeing a specimen of Peziza coccinea on his table, was 

 struck by its beauty, and asked its name. On being told, she 

 exclaimed, "Peziza! why, I have been working at that for a 

 fortnight ! " 



During the later years of his life, Babington — always in com- 

 pany with his devoted wife, who shared all his interests — spent long 

 periods of rest in various parts of the country — Yorkshire, Cornwall, 

 Durham, and Scotland, especially at Braemar, which they visited 

 annually from 1886 to 1891. The rest of the year was spent at 

 Cambridge, where on a fine day he might be seen in his wheel chair 

 either in the Botanic Gardens or on the Trumpington Road, or at other 

 places, or occasionally going for drives, almost the last drive being 

 to Cherry Hinton Chalk-pit close (1894). All the winter he would be 

 in the house, and read from morning to night, his sight being 

 excellent. He was never in the Herbarium after August, 1891, but 

 he retained charge of this till his death, his assiduous assistant, 

 Mr. Burkill, visiting him weekly to receive such instructions as 

 were necessary. Some two or three years since he appointed Mr. 

 Frank Darwin Deputy-Professor, with the charge of the laboratories. 

 His own herbarium and library, the latter containing some 1600 

 volumes, are bequeathed to the University : the interest of the 

 former, of course, lies mainly in the liubi, but there is also an 

 extremely interesting collection of British plants, formed during his 

 long botanical career. 



His end, like his life, was peaceful. When the news of his 

 death, which took place on the 22nd of July, reached me, I was 

 staying at a Benedictine abbey in the far north ; and the motto of 

 the house — "Pax" — seemed the most fitting message of sympathy 

 which could be sent. It is pleasant to know that the message gave 

 comfort to the one for whom it was intended. The funeral took 

 place at Cherry Hinton on July 26th, none but friends and the 

 Cambridge botanical staff being present. 



I have to thank Mrs. Babington for permission to reproduce the 

 portrait (taken some twelve years since) which accompanies this 

 article, and for much help, not only now but in the past ; also 

 Prof. Mayor, for proofs of the obituary notice which he has pre- 

 pared for The Eaijle, and Mr. I. H. Burkill for assistance in very 

 many ways. 



James Bkitten. 



