Ixxiv CHARLES CARDALE BABINGTON. 



to the Cambridge Botanic Gardens, made its escape through a waste 

 pipe, found its way into the Cam, and in 1852 impeded navigation 

 and threatened to injure the drainage of the fen country. The plant 

 was styled by some humorous undergraduate Bahingtonia, to which 

 some uncomplimentary epithet — diabolica, pestifera, or damnosa — was 

 added. It is unnecessary to say that Babington was in no way 

 directly responsible for the introduction, and the name does not find 

 any place in the Index Kewensis, although it certainly has some claims 

 to inclusion. The genus named in his honour by Lindley {Bot. Beg. 

 1842, t. 10) is now by common consent referred to Baeckea, so that 

 no distinct generic type is associated with him, although Atriplez 

 Bahingtonii commemorates his early critical work at a difficult genus. 



It was in 1846 that the "Synopsis of British Rubi" — the fore- 

 runner of the important book issued in 1869 — appeared in the 

 Annals and Magazine of Natural History. It was reprinted in 

 pamphlet form, and gave an impetus to the study of this trouble- 

 some group, the effects of which are by no means expended. The 

 later work, The British FmU, was printed at the cost of the University 

 Press, and was to have been accompanied by a volume of plates by 

 Mr. J. W. Salter. Some of these were completed and printed off, 

 and are extremely beautiful ; but the work was arrested by Salter's 

 death, and has not since been proceeded with. The acquisition of 

 G-enevier's great Buhus herbarium enabled Babington to pursue the 

 study of this, his favourite group, with the assistance of a large 

 series of French types : he had for many years been preparing a 

 new edition of the Buhi, in which the comparison of our English 

 plants with these would have doubtless suggested interesting con- 

 clusions. In 1851 he was elected F. R S. 



In 1860 Babington published his Flmxt of Camhidgeshire — an 

 excellent book, to which may be largely attributed the historical 

 treatment which prevails in our best local floras. 



On the death of Prof. Henslow, on May 16th, 1861, it seemed 

 obvious that Babington would be his successor, and in less than a 

 month he was appointed to the post. He at once set to work to 

 improve the Herbarium, which was in an unsatisfactory condition ; 

 additions were steadily made, both to it and to the library, some of 

 them, such as Genevier's Bubi, at Babington's expense. His own 

 time was so much occupied, as he states in the Museum Report for 

 1881, in examining plants for other people, that the work of in- 

 corporating additions and rearranging the collections was mainly 

 left to his assistants— Messrs. W. Hillhouse (1878—81), T. H. Corry 

 (1881—83), M. C. Potter (1884—91), and I. H. Burkill, who still 

 occupies the post, and to whose kind helpfulness in the preparation 

 of this memoir I am largely indebted. Mr. Corry, it will be remem- 

 bered, met his death by drowning, and Babington's notice of him 

 (Journ. Bot. 1883, 313) shews a warm appreciation of his talents 

 and personal qualities — " I lose in him not only an excellent scien- 

 tific helper, but also a very greatly valued friend." 



