LINXEA>* SOCIETY OF LOXDOX. 47 



strictly preserved by him, not a single twig being allowed to be 

 cut, or a single bird or mammal to be shot or suared. It was Sir 

 Thomas's desire to allow the normal vegetation to recover, and 

 thus to restore that area to its natural condition. Very little 

 planting was therefore done within this protected area, and the 

 few species which were selected for introduction were of sorts 

 little likely to hybridise with indigenous species. 



The soil of the La Mortola ridge is very poor and its rainfall 

 is scanty. The plants which were most suitable for introduction 

 on it were naturally those of Southern Europe, the Levant, the 

 South and West of Africa, Mexico, and Australia. A large pro- 

 portion of these are succulents, and some of the specimens of 

 these, such as Agave and Aloe, are particularly fine. La Mortola 

 was cultivated by Sir Thomas on the lines of a Botanic Garden, 

 and a free and most generous distribution and exchange of seeds, 

 living plants, and specimens was regularly carried on with gardens 

 all over the world. The grounds were, moreover, thrown open to 

 the public on two days a week, and were frequented by numerous 

 visitors. The present Curator, Mr. Alwyn Berger, is an excellent 

 botanist, who has for some years been engaged in the preparation 

 of a series of monographs of succulent plants, the first of which 

 (on the Eupliorbias) was issued a few months prior to Sir Thomas's 

 death. Two editions ot an excellent popular account of the 

 Botany and Zoology of the Biviera by a friend writing under the 

 initials " C. C." [Comerford-Caseyj were printed at Sir Thomas's 

 expense. The second edition of this most useful work is profusely 

 illustrated. Located in a building within the grounds is aa 

 excellent Herbarium of plants grown in the garden, and also of 

 those indigenous in its neighbourhood ; and in another building is 

 preserved a collection of Eoman antiquities found in the district. 



Although resident in England for only a few months in each 

 year. Sir Thomas's interest in English Horticulture remained very 

 keen, and this led him, in the year 1903, to buy from the heirs of 

 the late Mr. G. E.Wilson the well-known garden at Wisley, where 

 that enthusiastic gentleman had brought together his splendid 

 collection of rare and interesting species. Sir Thomas also bought 

 sixty acres of laud adjoining the garden proper, and presented the 

 whole to the Eoyal Horticultural Society of England. He also 

 presented to the Pharmaceutical Society of England the mag- 

 nificent collections of specimens of drugs and the library of books 

 on Pharmacy (some of them very rare) which iiad been bequeathed 

 to him by his late brother, Daniel Hanbury, E.R.S., author (in 

 conjunction with Professor Fliickiger, of Strassburg) of the well- 

 known ' Pharmacographia.' These latter gifts are now located 

 in the Society's Museum in Bloomsbury Square. Sir Thomas's 

 benefactions to Italy were numerous and varied. He founded 

 and endowed the Hanbury Botanical Institute in the University of 

 Genoa ; he also founded and supported the Prehistoric Museum 

 near Mentone, in which are preserved the most interesting of the 

 fossil and prehistoric remains dug out of the caverns in the high 



