o2U OBITUARY. 



Gardeners Chronicle (Aug. 30). — Nepenthes stenophylla Mast., 

 sp. n.— (Sept. 6). H. Friend, ' Fungus on Herb Paris ' (fig. 45). — 

 (Sept. 13). E. Bonavia, ' Fertilisation without Pollen.' —(Sept. 20). 

 Masdevallia fulvescens Rolfe, n. sp. (fig. 65). 



Journal ile Botanique (Aug. 1). — C. Sauvageau, ' Sur la feuille 



des Hydrocharidees marines.' . Hue, ' Lichens de Canisy et 



des environs.' 



Oesterr. Bot. Zeitschrift. (Sept.). — H. Zukal, ' Epigloea bactro- 

 spora' (1 plate). — E. Heinricher, ' Bliithen voni Symphytum officinale 

 mit einer ausseren Nebenkrone.' — L. Simonkai, Trifolium per- 

 pusillum, Sedum deserti-hunyarici, spp. nn. 



OBITUARY. 



The name of Lydia Ernestine Becker is chiefly known in 

 connection with the "Women's Suffrage" movement, audit may 

 surprise some to find that she had any claim to notice in these 

 pages. But at one time of her life she paid much attention to 

 Botany, in which indeed she always retained her interest. She 

 was born in Cooper Street, Manchester, on February 24th, 1827. 

 When about eleven years old her family removed to Altham, near 

 Accrington, where the greater part of her life was spent, and where 

 her love for flowers developed. She gave lectures on Botany in 

 girls' schools, and in 1864 published under her initials a little 

 introductory book entitled ' Botany for Novices.' It was while at 

 Accrington that she was struck with the remarkable appearance of 

 some flowers of Lychnis diurna attacked by a parasitic fungus, and 

 on this she read a paper before the British Association in 1869, a 

 summary of which will be found in this Journal for that year, 

 p. 291. 



Her political career need not be referred to here ; but it may be 

 noted that those who knew her bear warm testimony to the care 

 and affection with which her domestic duties were discharged, and 

 to the womanliness of her character. Their testimony, indeed, 

 runs counter to the popular conception of the prominent advocate 

 of " Women's Suffrage." Sketches of her life and character will 

 be found in the ' Women's Suffrage Journal ' for August last,— a 

 periodical which she established more than twenty years ago and 

 has conducted throughout, and which ends with her life. 



In June, Miss Becker went to Aix-les-Bains for the benefit of 

 her health. She derived much benefit from the change, and pro- 

 ceeded to St. Gervais-les-Bains in July. Here, however, she 

 became worse ; she with difficulty proceeded to Geneva, and died 

 within a few hours of her arrival on the 18th of July. She was 

 buried on the 21st in the cemetery of St. George, at Geneva. A 

 portrait of Miss Becker was painted five or six years ago by Miss 

 S. J. Dacre, which it is hoped may be secured for the National 

 Portrait Gallery. 



