LINNEAN SOCIEiy OF LONDOIT. 5^ 



the execution of his duties and parti}' followiuo the temptations 

 of alhiring problems. But it is eliaracteristic of the man that all 

 those excursions into side paths ran along definite lines with a 

 starting-point in eai-ly days, so liis work on galls (first paper 1881), 

 Selaginaceas (1883J, the flora of the Philippines (1885), hybrids 

 (1887), etc. His keen interest in the problem of hybridisation 

 led him on to the study of the species of liosa and Ruhus, but 

 here, like many others, he never came to any settled conclusions, 

 and his work reuiained sluit up in the cabinets of the Herbarium, 

 or perhaps found a new sprouting ground in a congenial mind, 

 for he was communicative enough when he got warm and found a 

 willing ear. 



R. A. E-olfe was to have retired from the post of an Assistant in 

 the Herbarium of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, last year, 

 but extension of service for one year was granted. This he did 

 not live to complete. His last illness and death came unexpectedly 

 early, for until then he showed, apart from increasing deafness, no 

 signs of old age, and was full of plans for future work and even 

 for a journey of exploration to Central America. He was an 

 Honorary Fellow and Member of the lloyal Horticultural Society, 

 and shortly before his death was awarded by the same Society the 

 Victoria Medal and the Gold Medal of the Veitch Memorial 

 Trust Fund. 



Further references to his life aud work may be found in the 

 'Kew Bulletin' for 1921, pp. 123-127, and in the 'Orchid 

 Review,' vol. xxix. pp. 5-8. Portraits of him were published in 

 the ' Gardeners' Chronicle ' of 12th February and 23rd April of 

 the present year, and in the ' Orchid Review,' I. c. 



R, A. Rolfe married, in 1881, Miss Caroline Berkeley Thatcher, 

 of Clifton aud Cheddar, by whom he is survived, as well as by one 

 daughter aud three sons. [O. Staff.] 



Piee' Anbrea Saccakdo was born at Treviso, on the 23rd of April, 

 1845, the son of the engineer, Francesco, of Selva (Volpago), and 

 his wife Elena, born Vidotta, of Treviso. His early^education was 

 received at Selva and afterwards at Venice, and subsequently 

 at Padua, at which University he graduated in medicine and in 

 philosophy in 1866. 



His earUest emploj'ment on emerging from his University was 

 Assistant to Roberto de Visiani, entering upon his duties in 

 ISToveraber 1866, retaining the post until 1872, when he was 

 appointed Professor of Natural History at the Technical Institute 

 of Padua, tlien newlv founded, until Visiani retired from the Chair 

 of Botany, and Saccardo was called to lill his place in 1877 as 

 Professor and Director of the Botanic Garden, which was con- 

 firmed upon the death of Visiani in February 1878. He remained 

 there for the long period of forty-two years, retiring on reaching 

 the age of 70 in 1915. 



