THOMAS HICK. 193 



new, but the leaves agree so exactly with those of the authentic 

 specimens of M. sdlomonensis in the Kew Herbarium that I have no 

 hesitation in referring it to that species. Beccari, however, saw no 

 flowers, and as these occur on Barclay's specimen, I append a 

 description, which Mr. Rendle has kindly drawn up for me. We 

 have also a flowerless specimen from New Ireland (Barclay) which 

 seems to me diflterent from any of those figured in Malesiu, and to 

 be probably new; but only the intimate knowledge of the genus 

 possessed by Prof. Beccari can justify the description of novelties 

 from such imperfect material, and I therefore leave it. 



" M. SAL03I0NENSIS Bccc. Flowcrs crowded in axillary clusters 

 among a dense dark ferruginous rameutum. Perianth tubular, 

 11 mm. long, constricted just above the middle, limb 4-fid, seg- 

 ments triangular-ovate, with a sharp spreading apex. Stamens 4, 

 subsessile at the constriction of the perianth, with alternating tufts 

 of short white hairs; filament scarcely 1 mm. long, anthers scarcely 

 1*5 mm., connective not produced. Style 7*o mm. long, thickening 

 below the equally bifid stigma. — A. B. Pi." 



Barclay notes on his ticket : " This plant has a large tuberous 

 root. The flowers are white, and in some of them I found 4 stamens, 

 but not universally so. It seems to prefer airy situations, as it is 

 found only upon trees in exposed habitations " [sic). 



THOMAS HICK. 



[We are indebted to the Editor of the Naturalist for the loan of 

 the excellent portrait of Mr. Thomas Hick which appeared in that 

 Journal for March. A short notice of Mr. Hick appeared in last 

 year's Journal of Botany, p. 488, but Mr. F. Arnold Lees's appreci- 

 ation in the Naturalist contains information additional thereto, and 

 we therefore reproduce it with the portrait. The remarkable literary 

 style of the memoir cannot fail to lend the charm of variety to pages 

 which, we fear, are apt to be dull: and we hope our readers will 

 appreciate and understand it. — Ed. Journ. Box.] 



Any retrospect I may attempt of a life of fifty-six years so 

 remarkable in its lesson as a triumph of mind over matter — though 

 the subject of it called himself a materialist very nearly, if not 

 quite, to the last — must be inadequate ; for, though I am almost 

 the one oldest scientific friend of his left — Prof. W. C. Williamson, 

 Dr. Spruce, James Abbot, and James W. Davis, all no more ! — I only 

 knew Thomas Hick at all intimately, or saw him constantly, during 

 the lustrum 1868 to 1873. I moved about much after that, whilst 

 he, leaving Leeds for Harrogate, where he resided up to 1885, then 

 migrated to Manchester upon his attaining the Assistant-Lecture- 

 ship in Botany at Owens, under Williamson. For a civilian his was 

 a battleful life, full beyond the average in controversial effort and 

 strenuous inquiry. As a biologist, where Huxley led he followed ; 

 the method, fidelity to truth, fearlessness in experiment and con- 



JouENAL OF Botany. — Vol. 35. [May, 1897.] o 



