32 
Friends’ School, Brookfield, near Wigton. His devotion to 
botanical study began at an early ages his first contribution to 
the subject being published when he was 17. Already an active 
member of the ‘l'yneside Naturalists’ “Field Club, he became in 
1851 a member of the tat ioe Botanical Society, and in 1853 
a fellow of the Linnean Society. His reputation in 1858 was 
already so thoroughly established as to lead to an invitation from 
Sir W. J. Hooker, then mB a of Kew, to become an assistant 
in the Herbarium. A year later Oliver inaugurated a course of 
lectures on botany for the benefit of the young deners em- 
poke at. Kew, which he conducted without a break until 1874. 
n 1861 Oliver was appointed professor of botany at University 
College, a position which he occupied till 1888. In 1863 he was 
elected a fellow of the Royal Society, and in 1864, on the retire- 
ment through ill-health ef the late Mr. A. Black, he was 
appointed keeper of the Herbarium a Library at Kew, a post 
which he held until 3lst May, 1890. His sive participation 
in the work of the establishment continued, however, for five 
more years, as editor on peal’ at the Bentham Trustees of 
Hooker’s Icones Plantaru He took, in addition, an active 
interest in the work of tha: Linnean Society, on whose council 
he served from 1861 to 1863, and again from 1872 to 1874. He 
also served on the council of the Royal Society in 1875-76, and 
again from 1880 to 1882. In the latter year the Edinburgh 
Botanical Society, of which he had long been a <a elected 
him one o eir six British honorary fellows, and in 1884, on 
the motion of the council of the Royal Society, 3 was the 
ae of a Royal Medal. 
n Oliver retired from the public service in 1890 the First 
Somacieinie of Works placed on record the high appreciation 
Her Majesty’s Government of the valuable services rendered 
by. him to the Royal Botanic Gardens and the distinguished 
ny which he had brought to bear on the work of his depart- 
me In the following year the University of Aberdeen con- 
fected upon him the honorary degree of LL.D., and in 1893 the 
Linnean Society awarded him its gold medal; the President, in 
handing him this award, summarised in the happiest terms 
varied activities and his eminent services to botanical cues 
(K.B. 1893, p. 188). Eater in 1893 a portrait of Oliver by 
Mr. J. Wilson Forster was hae by a Epes of his friends 
to the Herbarium at Kew B. 1894 a 
A list of his priser to botanical iaetiiie is given below. 
List oF PUBLICATIONS BY THE LATE Prorressor D. OLIVER. 
List of a few Plants found in Bouldersdale and Teesdale, 
together with the formations on which they were found. 
(Phytologist, ii. 1847, 86. 
Botanical notes of a week in Ireland during —- resent month, 
August, 1852. (Phytologist, iv. 1852, pp. 676-679.) 
certain structures observed in Pentas carnea, "Bonith, (Gard. 
peace sada p. 822. 
Not n Pyrola rotmadeielien var. arenaria. (Phytologist, iv. 
1853, pa “1119-1 120.) 
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