April, 1897. OBITUARY. 281 



Palaeozoic and Mesozoic floras, and in most of his papers he gives 

 evidence of a well-marked ability of dealing with his subject on 

 broad scientific lines. Like many of the older school of palaeobotanists, 

 he did not concern himself with the internal structure of fossil plants, 

 but the type of work in which he excelled was admirably dealt with 

 in his hands. It is generally admitted that Ettingshausen overrated 

 the taxonomic value of venation-characters ; and in many cases the 

 far-reaching conclusions as to the geographical distribution of plants 

 to which he was led cannot be accepted as based on accurate data. 

 Baron Ettingshausen was a genial, quiet, and unassuming enthusiast, 

 and his name will always occupy an honourable position among the 

 earlier scientific workers in the field of fossil plants. He held for many 

 years the post of Professor of Botany and Palaeontology in the 

 University of Gratz. 



Since our copy oi Science Gossip for December, 1896, did not reach 

 us till after the middle of January, 1897, we have hitherto been unable 

 to allude to an appreciative note that it contains on the late William 

 Wilson, of Hillocks, Alford, in Aberdeenshire, who died on 

 October 18, at the age of 91. A farmer by profession, " he followed 

 closely all attempts of scientific men to show the relationship of the 

 various sciences to husbandry. As a botanist he discovered LinnecB 

 (sic) hovealis growing on an open moor ; Alpine sow-thistle at a lower 

 sea-level than previously known to exist. He was the first to notice 

 what has proved to be a remarkable extension in area of the beech 

 fern {Phegopteris). He traced many remarkable changes in the 

 distribution of animals as affected by man's agency, such as the 

 departure of some, and appearance and change of habits of others. 

 Of birds, the snipe has practically disappeared from his district, while 

 the curlew and starling have established themselves during his time." 



Thomas Christian Thomassen, who undertook Nansen's duties 

 as curator of the zoological collections in Bergen Museum, while the 

 latter was in Greenland, died at Bergen, on January 13, 1897, ^t the 

 age of 57. His most important scientific works were on the 

 earthquakes of Norway. 



We regret to record the deaths of: — at Winchester, on Nov. 8 

 last, the botanist F. I. Warner, aged 54 ; Dr. C. Contejean, of the 

 Pasteur Institute, and Paris Museum of Natural History, at Belgrade 

 on February 24, accidentally self-poisoned ; E. Saubinet, President 

 of the Lyons Linnean Society, and an ardent insect-collector ; C. F. 

 WiEPKEN, for 60 years Director of the Oldenburg Museum ; 

 A. RoGERHOFER, formerly curator of the Imperial Natural History 

 Museum in Vienna ; Dr. N. Zdekauer, of St. Petersburg, distin- 

 guished for his work to advance hygiene and the knowledge of 

 epidemics ; on November 26, in Somaliland, the African explorer 

 A. Cecchi, aged 47, murdered by the natives; on December 13, in 

 Alexandria, the meteorologist A. Pirona, aged 65 ; on January i, in 

 Brazil, Dr. Paul Taubert, botanist ; Joseph D. Weeks, editor of 

 the American Manufactuver and a contributor to the reports of the 

 U.S. Geol. Survey, on December 26, at Pittsburg, Pa. ; in Newark, 

 N.Y., the botanist, W. Hayes Ward; Henry L. Whiting, Assistant 

 U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey and Chairman of the Massachusetts 

 Topographical Survey Commission, on February 4, at West Tisbury, 

 Martha's Vineyard, aged 76. 



