LIWNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON. 49 



liis renowned * Lehrbuch ' appeared ; although a work of such 

 magnitude, embodying such an amount of research, it was the 

 outcome of many strenuous years' application. A second editiou 

 was called for in 1870, a third in 1872, a fourth (and last) ia 

 1874. He resisted all importunities to revise it again, as it has 

 " ceased to represent his ideas." Nevertheless its influence 

 was immense, and in its translation it has become a classic of 

 reference. The accumulation of facts and references which are 

 so marked a feature of the ' Lehrbuch ' had become distasteful 

 to the author, who preferred to concentrate his attention on a 

 more artistic presentation of particular sections. 



Resuming his researches in Wiirzburg, he began his ' Arbeiten 

 des botanischen Instituts in AViirzburg,' the first volume ap- 

 pearing in 1871, the third and last in 1888, nearly coinciding 

 with his wil-hdravval from active work. In 1875 he brought out 

 his ' Geschichte der Botanik ' from the 10th century to 1860 : 

 a characteristic but imequal wo)k. His next volume was his 

 ' Vorlesungeu ' in 188'J, the second edition in 1887, which, like 

 his ' Lehrbuch ' and ' Greschichte,' are known also in their English 

 translations. 



His published works give but a poor idea of his influence as a 

 professor ; his conception of a teacher was high, the function 

 of teaching supereminent. His pupils, who were limited in 

 number, and only charily admitted into his Institute after testing, 

 were destined to carry his ideas and methods of work into distant 

 parts, and to the leaven thus disseminated must be attributed 

 much of the present aspect of botany as now taught. 



For the last 15 years of his life his scientific work was inter- 

 rupted by long illness, and on 29th May, 1897, after six weeks' 

 acute phthisis following influenza, he quietly passed away at 

 Wiirzburg. 



He was elected Foreign Member, May 1878 ; ten years later 

 on the similar list of the Royal Society. He travelled but little, 

 soon wearying of the unaccustomed sights and sounds, and un- 

 controllably drawn back to his beloved pursuits. His old 

 colleague Prof. Groebel in ' Flora ' gives a list of 99 papers from 

 Sachs's pen, besides the independent volumes which are men- 

 tioned in the foregoing account. 



William Scott was born at Lomnay, Aberdeenshire, on 12th 

 September, 1859, and was apprenticed as gardener at Aden 

 House. After passing through two other garden establishments 

 in Scotland, he came to the Royal Gardens, Kew, whence, in 

 1881, after six months' service, he was appointed assistant to 

 Mr. John Home, then head of the Mauritius gardens and forest 

 department. On his chief completing his term of service in 1890, 

 Mr. Scott succeeded him, with the three gardens under his charge 

 at Pamplemousses, Curepeep, and the private garden of the 

 Governor's house at Redway. These gardens suffered in 1892 

 terrible losses by a hurricane, which it is stated stripped every 



LINN. SOC. PKOCEEDINGS. — SESSION 1897-98. C 



