LryXEAS" SOCIETY OF LOXDO^r. 31 



corresponded with Sir J. E. Stnith, and had seat lichens for 

 figuring in ' English Botanv.' His early traiaiag was chiefly at 

 several private schools, a short time being sp ^nt at the Charter- 

 house, but principally as a day-scholar at Bath, to which city his 

 father had removed. When 18 years of age, in 1823 he took up 

 residence at St. John's College, Cambridge, and a few months 

 afterwards became acquainted with that adaiirable teacher, 

 Professor Heuslow. He graduated in 1830, proceeding M.A. in 

 1833. 



His first book, the 'Flora Bathoniensis,' was published in 1834 ; 

 and the following year he botanized in Ireland with our late 

 Fellow, John Ball ; in 1837 a visit to the Channel Islands with 

 a friend resulted in his ' Primitise Florae Sarnicse.' But these 

 were only preliminary to a much larger and more ambitious work 

 •which appeared in 1843, his ' Manual uf British Botany.' His 

 early friend, the Per. W. AV. Newbould, became known to 

 Babington about the time when the first idea of taking up the 

 whole flora w;is in his mind ; and the actual first introduction is 

 told in our ' Proceedings,' 1883-86, p. 145. Newbould took 

 the keenest interest in the progress of the "work ; and when, after 

 eager waiting, the coach brought a copy to Comberton, where 

 Newbould was then curate, he sat up all the night absorbed in 

 its contents, as he once told the writer of these lines. 



The issue of the book had an important bearing on the study 

 of our native plants. The influence of the Linnean botanists 

 had been perpetuated through Smith's ' Flora Britannica,' 

 ' English Botany,' and the 'English Flora ;' Hooker's 'British 

 Flora ' was for several editions arranged on that system ; and the 

 fifth edition in 1842, although arranged in conformity to the 

 natuial system, was not remodelled in the rearrangement. 

 Babington's work was something quite fresh ; he had spent 

 much labour in collating our plants with the Continental authors, 

 and a new and fresh point of view was opened up. Eight 

 editions were brought out, each receiving as much care as if it 

 %\ ere a new venture, and making use of the successive foreign 

 floras which could throw light on our own. In consequence, 

 he came to be regarded as a spKtter, which he certainly seemed to 

 be, when tested by the standard of Bentham's ' Handbook of the 

 British Flora.' He maintained that much of the lumping dowTi 

 in the latter book could not be sanctioned by those who were 

 familiar with the living plants. Whatever view be taken about 

 species or varieties, Babington's ' Manual ' remains to this hour 

 unsurpassed in usefulness for the study of our Local Flora. 



The year after the issue of this ' Manual' witnessed the founda- 

 tion of tlie Pay Society. Babington was on the Council, and 

 took a share in its early publications, chiefly the ' Memorials of 

 Pay ' and his ' Correspondence,' which owed much to Babington's 

 labours. 



The result of special work on a very puzzling set of plants, 

 the Brambles, appeared in the 'Annals and Magazine of Natural 



