369 
Morpgcar Cusitt Cooxr.—We record with regret the death 
of Mr. M. C. Cooke, for twelve years in charge of the Cryptogamic 
department of the Herbarium of the Royal Botanic Gardens 
ooke was born at Horning, in Norfolk. At the age of nine, i 
went to reside with an uncle at Ilford, and commenced the study of 
botany, being, as a child, first interested in flowering plants. His 
attention was soon attracted to fungi, at first from an edible stand- 
point, but soon, as Cooke himself often sate, the fungi exercised 
such a spell over his entire existence, that his interest in these plants 
ceased only when he peacefully passed away at his residence in 
Kentish Town on August 19th, a few days after his 87th birthday. 
Being dependent on his own resources from an early age, Cooke 
was, In turn, an assistant in a drapery establishment, teacher in a 
National eaal and a lawyer’s clerk. He after wards obtained a 
more congenial appointment as assistant in the India Museum. 
On the abolitiod of this institution, Cooke spent some time at the 
South Kensington Museum, in the Mycological Department, and 
afterwards came to the Herbarium at the Ro oyal Botanic Gardens, 
Kew, where he was also placed in charge of the mycological section. 
Cooke remained at Kew from 1880 to 1892, when he retired on 
nsion. During this time Cooke incorporated his own er oaCHIOK 
containing 46,000 specimens, with the existing collection at Kew as 
well as the collection of fungi presented to Kew by the Rev. M. J. 
Backelsy. Cooke’s figures of oS mostly coloured, and numbering 
25,000 plates, are also at 
His first important tres was the “ Handbook of British vp cade 
in two volumes, published in 1871, followed by “ Mycographia,” o 
coloured ficures of fungi from all parts of the world, 113 ate 
“Handbook of Australian Fungi,” and “ Illustrations of British 
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ronounced feature of Cooke was his willingness to assist 
anyone interested in mycology ; Secor I may say that during 
an intimate aoquaiitanes. for over 30 years, I invariably received 
of 
statement will, I am sure, “Es endorsed by many ayoblogista in 
various parts of the world. 
G. M. 
Bota nical Magazine for October.—The plants figured are Chamae- 
dorea eres H. Wendl. (t. 8457); Ceropegia Thorncroftii, 
N. E. Bro t. 8458); Osmanthus Delavayi, Franch. (t. 8459) ; 
en Shawitons, Benth. (t. 8460); and Furcrea elegans, Tod. 
t. 
: The ‘Cnc is an elegant species which se — in = eae 
tion at Kew in the Aroid House for some 40 
flowers of both sexes were produced and yielded oatatiel for on 
