164 



the area of evergreen vegetation within the region of the 

 periodical cloud belt. For instance, experiments might be 

 made with the various species of trees and shrubs already growing 



there in 



most 



01)1 



insufficient. 



Ursula 



for notes on the Rain-tree in correspondence with the Director, 

 and the writer tenders his thanks to his colleague, Mr. S. A. 

 Skan, for indicating some of the literature. 



VL— MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 



Mr. Frederick Fmfpance, formerly a member of the 

 gardening staff, and for some time a Temporary Assistant in the 

 Herbarium, has been appointed by the Secretary of State for the 

 Colonies, on the recommendation of Kew, Assistant Curator of 

 the Botanic Gardens, Singapore. 



Arthur Ecki ey Lechmere. — The news of the untimely death 

 of Dr. A. E. Lechmere on February 14th, following so soon 

 after his return to this country from Ruhleben, where he was 

 interned for over four years, has been received with the deepest 

 regret by those who shared with him the hardships of the life 

 in the internment camp at Ruhleben and by all who were associ- 

 ated with him during his studies in this country and in France 

 before Avar broke out. By his death biological science loses 

 one of the most promising and enthusiastic of the jvoungier 

 generation of workers at the very threshold of his career. 



Arthur Eckley Lechmere was a member of the family of that 

 name long associated with Fownhope, Herefordshire, and was 

 born 34 years ago. Following the death of his parents during 

 his boyhood he ultimately settled in Bristol, started training as 

 an electrical engineer and entered the University College there 

 in 1905, as a student in the Facultv of Engineering. He soon 

 transferred his attention to natural science and quick! \ 

 developed that passion for biology which determined the subse- 

 quent course of his life and which in the end spurred him to 

 those achievements in the internment camp which have excited 

 the admiration and wonder of all who have been privileged to 

 have been brought into touch with them. Under the stimulating 

 influence of Professor J. H. Priestley, who at that period was in 

 charge of the Botanical Department at University College, 

 Bristol, Lechmere adopted botany as his chief subject and sought 

 the earliest opportunity of engaging* in research in that subject. 

 In 1909 he recived the London B.Sc. Honours degree in Botany 



' 



the clouds. It would seem very 

 probable that judicious planting of such vegetation at suitable 

 altitudes might so increase the amount of water supply, as to j 



make possible a great extension of the area of cultivation of 

 the banana, for which the soil of the Canaries is so suitable, and 

 for various other crops for which the water supply at present is 



