292 JOHN RALFS. 



recorded nearly seven hundred species, most of which were verified 

 by Berkeley and Broome. In 1883-4 he was President of the 

 Society. He recorded in the Report for 1887-8 his last additions 

 to the Flora. 



He always took a great interest in the Penzance Public Library, 

 and in 1870 we learn from a letter to Broome that be was engaged 

 in making a "shelf-book," containing a list of the 12,000 volumes 

 included in the library. To this institution he presented his 

 MS. Flora of the Vice-county of West Cornwall, in nine volumes, 

 containing the result of his ow T n fifty years' observations, besides 

 notes received from others. 



In addition to the works already mentioned, we understand that 

 Balfs contributed jointly with the Rev. H. Penneck, "A Sketch of 

 the Botany of West Penwith," to Courtney's ' Guide to Penzance ': 

 and that he also contributed to Blight's ' Week at the Land's End.' 

 Fifteen papers stand under his name in the Royal Society's ' Cata- 

 logue of Scientific Papers.' He supplied the list of Desmids to 

 Jenner's ' Flora of Tunbridge Wells,' and issued a fasciculus of 

 Algre : he also described an alga (Tyndaridea anomala) for the 

 • Supplement to English Botany,' t. 2899. 



In 1889 the Royal Microscopical Society somewhat tardily 

 recognised his eminent services to microscopical science by electing 

 him an Honorary Fellow. Many years ago it was proposed to 

 nominate him as an Associate of the Linnean Society, but this he 

 declined. Berkeley gave the name of Ilalfoia to a genus of Sea- 

 weeds, and Wilson named a Jungermannia in his honour. 



During the last few years of his life increasing deafness and 

 other infirmities, and frequent attacks of bronchitis, confined him 

 almost entirely to the house. Fortunately he was well cared for by 

 Miss Quick, in whose house he had lived for many years; indeed, no 

 relative could have been kinder or more devoted to him. He died 

 on July 14th, 1890, and w r as buried in the Penzance Cemetery. 



We first made his personal acquaintance when visiting Penzance 

 in 1880, and we shall not forget the cordial way in which he 

 received us, nor the pleasant evenings we spent in his characteristic 

 naturalist's den, with its walls covered with books, and its general 

 litter of specimens and papers dimly discernible through the cloud of 

 tobacco-smoke — for Ralfs was an inveterate smoker. He took a great 

 deal of trouble to show us the localities of botanical interest in the 

 district, and no youthful naturalist could have been more enthusi- 

 astic than he was in field work. At that time he was engaged in 

 collecting beetles for Mr. Marquand's list, and his joy at finding a 

 species new to the district was so contagious as to make one want 

 to start as a beetle-collector on the spot. It w T as amusing to notice 

 the wonder of a passer-by at seeing this grave looking old gentleman, 

 in the old-time professional swallow-tail coat and black stock (which 

 he never relinquished), squatting down by a road side pool, eagerly 

 examining the contents of his dredging-net, and utterly oblivious oi 

 the muddy water dripping over his clothes. 



He was well knowm and much respected in Penzance and its 

 neighbourhood, and his kindly unselfish character endeared him to 

 his many friends. He has been described as of a retiring and silent 



