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THE LATE JAMES BACKHOUSE. 

 (With J PwiTnArr. ) 



By the death of James Backhouse on the 31st August last at his 

 residence, West Bank, York, English Botany has lost one of its 

 most painstaking observers and accurate exponents. Born in York 

 on the 22nd of October, 1825, he was educated at the Friends' 

 School in Lawrence Street (since transferred to 20, Booth ana, 

 York), and from a young man inherited the taste for Natural 

 History so strongly developed in his father. The latter, who bore 

 the same name, was widely known as a prominent Minister of the 

 Society of Friends, and for his long and important missionary 

 journeys in the Southern Hemisphere in connection with that 

 body. Here during his mission labours he collected many plants, 

 especially from among the numerous and beautiful group of Filmy 

 Ferns ; these he transmitted to his nurseries in York, where they 

 have ever since been cultivated with singular success. These 

 nurseries, the most important in the north of England, have been 

 in existence for over a century. Eighty years ago they were in the 

 hands of the Telford family, who had conducted them for several 

 generations in " The Friars' Gardens," but who subsequently 

 yielded them up in favour of the (to them) more profitable 

 occupation of whale fishery. They were then purchased by 

 Thomas and James Backhouse, of Darlington, who, on the intro- 

 duction of railways, removed them to Fishergate, and later still to 

 their present site between Holgate and Acomb. 



For many years father and son followed their favourite pursuit, 

 together exploring many of the more remote mountainous districts 

 in the north of England, Scotland, and Wales. On the 20th of 

 January, 1869, James Backhouse, sen., died. An interesting 

 account of his life by Mr. J. G. Baker appeared in this Journal for 

 that year. During a long period, therefore, it was impossible to 

 separate the botanical work of the two James Backhouses. Their 

 joint labour hi the exploration of the remarkable flora of Teesdale 

 is known to all English botanists. A paper in the handwriting 

 of the late Mr. Backhouse has been placed in my hands, which 

 gives in a rough chronological order the dates of their journeys 

 either alone or together, and the more important botanical 

 discoveries which they made. Though too long to quote at length, 

 it is of sufficient interest to justify me in inserting the following 

 brief summary. 



The paper begins with a reference to a visit by James Back- 

 house, sen., to Castle Eden Dene in 1803, where he found 

 ( 'ypnpedium Calceolus L. From this date to the year 1812 all the 

 notes refer exclusively to his work, chiefly in Teesdale, which he 

 first visited in 1810. The more noteworthy plants there found by 

 him were Helianthemum marifolium Mill, var. vineale Pers., Armaria 

 verna L., Dryas octopetala L., Potentilla fruticosa L., Saadfraga Hir- 

 culm L. (BauldersJale), Sedum villosum L., Epilobium alsinifolvum 

 Vill., Gmtiana verna L., and Woodsia ilvensis R. Br., which he first 



Journal of Botany. — Vol. 28. [Df.ckmber, 1890.] 2 a 



