64 BOTANICAL NEWS. 



and in i3ractice for some years. In 1858 he was president of the 

 Edinburgh Botanical Society, and contributed several papers to 

 the Transactions of that Society. It was not till 1860 that he 

 came to London to occupy the post of assistant- secretary to the 

 Horticultural Society, and has been mtimately connected with its 

 scientific committee since its foundation. Though best known as 

 a zoologist (especially as a very accomplished entomologist), Mr. 

 Murray had a good knowledge of plants, and published in 1863 a 

 volume on the ' Pines and Firs of Japan ' ; he was also engaged on 

 the text of Lawson's ' Pinetum Britannicum,' which is still uncom- 

 pleted. Mr. Mm-ray was a very careful and accurate observer and 

 an acute reasoner, and his loss is deplored by a large circle of 

 friends. 



We have to record the death of Mr. Samuel Anderson, of 

 Whitby, in Yorkshu-e, an energetic collector and investigator of 

 the mosses and Hepatic® of that district. He was the first to dis- 

 cover Sphagmun molle in this country, and contributed largely to 

 the ' Sphagnacese Britannicae Exsiccatse,' recently issued, the speci- 

 mens prepared by him bearing witness to the care and neatness 

 which marked all the work that passed through his hands. Several 

 species of Hepatic93 recently detected by him are also new to the 

 Yorkshire Flora. 



We are sorry to have to announce the death of our corres- 

 pondent. Miss Elizabeth Hodgson, of Ulverstone, which took place 

 there on 26th December last, at the age of 64. Her principal 

 contribution to botany was her ' Flora of Lake Lancashire,' which 

 appeared in this Journal in 1874 (New Series, vol. iii. p. 268-296). 

 Lake Lancashne, though politically a part of that county, is 

 physically an appendage of the Lake district, running up from the 

 coast to Coniston water and the west shore of Windermere ; and as 

 its hills rise to a height of 2500 feet, and its geology presents great 

 variety, its botany, which had been little studied systematically since 

 the days of Ray's correspondent, Thomas Lawson, is of much 

 interest. Miss Hodgson recorded nothing but what she had herself 

 seen ; and as she sent her specimens up to London before print- 

 ing to be verified, and afterwards presented her collection to the 

 British Museum, her paper possesses the highest claim to authen- 

 ticity. Many of the species are represented by a large and well- 

 selected series of forms, some of which are of critical interest. 

 For many years she was a member of the Botanical Exchange 

 Club, but lately for some time her health had been very feeble ; 

 she was also an able geologist, and contributed from 1863 down- 

 wards many papers to the ' Journal of the Geological Society,' 

 the ' Geologist,' and the ' Geological Magazine.' Her latest 

 scientific task was, after she was too ill to collect for herself, to 

 make by deputy a collection of the Furness Mosses. 



Correction in the December number. — In the paper on ' Bermu- 

 dian Ferns,' (p. 367), evervwhere for 1863 read 1843 ; for 1864 

 read 1844, and for 1865 read 1845. 



