54 



PliOC'KEDI.VGS or THE 



introduction to the stiuly of mosses ; the reiuler is tuken, as it 

 were, into the autlior's confidence, and the structure of the nioss- 

 phmt and its lite-history are explained to him, the relations of 

 mosses to other plants is discussed, and their distribution over the 

 earth's surface in the past and present is briefly reviewed. In 

 I'ecomniending the study ol' mosses "to any old or young, who 

 really love Nature," he writes, "I find myself, whenever in the 

 country, surrounded by a world of beauty iind interest which I 

 only ditnly perceived before I entered on the study, thoujih J have 

 never, 1 hope, been entirely unobservant of things around me." 

 In 1911, in collabor;ition with his daughter Agnes, he wrote a 

 boolc on similar lines on 'Tiie Liverworts.' Also, with his 

 daughter's aid, he wrote in 1899 a treatise entitled ' The Myce- 

 tozoa, and some questions which they suggest,' a work wliich 

 can liardly fail to excite interest in tliese strange and beautiful 

 organisms. A special charm is to be found in all these books from 

 the suggestive manner in which many problems of far-reaching 

 im])ortance are lightly touched upon. IJis holidays abroad were 

 enriched not only by historic associations, but by the study of the 

 characteristic floras of the countries visited, and collections of 

 plants were brought home from Italy, Greece, and Egypt, to be 

 carefully named and added to the family herbarium. His beautiful 

 garden at I'ailand, Somerset, was re])lete with interesting and 

 unusual plants and — with the small pinetum which he laid out — 

 formed an unfailing source of enjoyment. 



To those who were ])rivileged to be admitted to the intimacy of 

 his home circle, his wide experience, his pleasure in sbaiing his 

 interests with others, and his kindly sense of humour made him 

 tiu ideal host and companion. He died at EaiLind, October 18th, 

 1918, within a few days of completing his ninety-first year. 



[U. Lister.] 



By the death, on Tebruary 19th, 1919, of FuEitEiucK DuCa>-e 

 GoiniAN, the Society has lost one of its most distinguished 

 Fellows. It is unnecessary to repeat here the details of his long 

 life devoted to science, for these have been recounted by many 

 friends, and best of all in the autobiographical sketch, written 

 Avith characteristic modesty, which appealed in 1915 in the 

 Introductory Volume of the ' Biologia Centrali- Americana,' 

 when Godman was in his eighty-second year. The (53 volumes 

 of the 'Biologia' and the immense additions to the British Museum 

 of Natural History will preserve his memory for all time. 



Here we prefer rather to dv\ell on his personality. We 

 remember with pleasure that the most recent of his many honours 

 vi'as the award in 1918 of the Linnean Gold Medal by our Society; 

 and we know of the ])leasure with which he received this evidence 

 of the appreciation of his brother and sister inxt uralists. Godman 

 never tliought of recognition or reward, but when recognition 

 came he accepted it in the spirit in which it was offered, and it 

 gave him, as he freely told his friends, the keenest pleasure. One 



