LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LOKDON. 5 1 



resulted in a hybrid Oampanula with variegated I'ohage, which was 

 taken up by a neighbouring florist, and in a hybrid pink between 

 Diantlius alpimis and D. Gardnerianus, and possibly others. But 

 his garden was always an interesting one to visit on account of the 

 number of rare British plants that found a congenial home there. 

 Although he rarely visited London and was almost unknown in 

 botanical circles, owing to his modest and retiring disposition, he 

 was highly respected in his native town, and his advice was con- 

 stantly sought by his fellow townsmen in all important public and 

 even private personal matters. He was gifted with a strong vein of 

 quiet humour and very keen perception, but he had a kind and 

 lovable disposition, and was never known to make an unkind remark 

 concerning anyone, preferring to be silent when nothing good 

 could be said. The late Bishop Haunington and Dr. H. M. 

 Holman were his most intimate friends, and with the former he 

 made njany botanical excursions in Devonshire and elsewhere. 

 Mr. Mitten retained his faculties to the last, and shortly before 

 his death described a new species of Scalemoss, Loijliocolea alata, 

 which he had detected in 1875 in North Devon, and allowed 

 Miss C. E. Larter, who was interested in ]S!"orth Devon botany, 

 to publish. 



An excellent portrait of Mitten is given in the October number 

 of the 'Journal of Botany ' for October 1906. He leaves a widow 

 who is 93 years of age, and still in the full possession of her 

 faculties, a daughter who is the wife of the famous naturalist 

 Dr. A. R. Wallace, and two unmarried daughters, one of whom 

 still carries on the Pharmacy at Hurstpierpoint. 



Mr. Mitten's entire collection ot Mosses and Hepaticse were at 

 his request offered to Mrs. JN". L. Britton, a keen American 

 bryologist, who had made his acquaintance some years previously. 

 The collection, at her instigation, was purchased for the Herbarium 

 of the New York Botanical Gardens. Details of the Collection 

 are given in the ' Journal of the New York Botanical Gardens ' for 

 February 1907, pp. 28-32. The entire collection abounds in 

 beautiful di-awings, which as well as memoranda and original 

 descriptions, were usually laid in the covers with the specimens. 

 Dr. A. R. Wallace has stated concerning the collection : — " I am 

 inclined to think that they constitute the richest, or nearly the 

 richest, private collection of these groups in existence, whilst it is 

 doubtful if any public collections are much richer. Of all the 

 collections he received to name and describe he received sets for 

 himself, and thus accumulated an enormous collection. The loss 

 of the collection to this country is much to be regretted, but it is 

 understood that Mrs. Britton will return the British specimens to 

 England, whei'e they will doubtless speedily find a suitable home." 



Mr. Mitten was an Honorary Member of the Linnean Society 

 of New South Wales and of the New Zealand Institute, of the 

 South-Eastern Union of Scientific Societies, and of the Brighton 

 Natural History Society. [E. M. Holmes.] 



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