OBITUARY. 279 
resigned his Indian post, he settled at Wandsworth, and joined 
his wife's father in business as an underwriter at Lloyd’s; of 
which Committee he in time became Chairman, and a most able 
member. He was exceedingly successful in business and amassed 
a large fortune, only to be lost, when the firm of which he was 
the head suddenly failed in 1873. Prior to this date his ample 
means were always at the service of scientific research. It 
was he who gave impetus to the foreign collection of plants 
and insects. Had it not been for his lberality many successful 
collectors could never have forwarded home their rich stores of 
undescribed species. ‘To this liberality and his ample means are 
to be ascribed his chief use to science; for his many business 
and other duties left him little time for actual scientific work. 
Nevertheless many valuable papers, on both Entomology and 
Botany, from his pen may be found in the ‘ Transactions’ of the 
various learned Societies, of which he was a leading spirit. On 
the formation of the Entomological Society he was one of the 
original members, and at a later period was President of that 
Society on three occasions. In addition to the sciences men- 
tioned, he long studied the economic value of various woods in 
regard to their durability, &c. His collection of these was 
shown in the Exhibition of 1851. In 1857 he removed his then 
extensive collection to Hillfield, Reigate, which later became so 
celebrated as the home of a man ever ready to help his less 
fortunate fellow-workers, by reference to his collection and his 
extensive knowledge. These collections rapidly grew until they 
had, in the unfortunate year 1873, attained a greater extent 
probably than any other privately made. They consisted of 
insects of all orders, dried plants, woods, birds, shells, &c., while 
his gardens contained well nigh every rare exotic plant which 
could be obtained. So great was his success in the study of 
horticulture that in 1868 he edited and published the first part 
of ‘ Refugium Botanicum,’ with the assistance of Mr. J. G. Baker 
and Prof. Reichenbach for the descriptions; but many of the 
plates are from his own drawings, while others are by the well- 
known botanical artist, Mr. J. N. Fitch. Mr. Saunders also edited 
‘Insecta Saundersiana’ and ‘ Mycological Illustrations’; in this 
latter he was assisted by Messrs. Worthington Smith and A. W. 
Bennett. Mr. Wilson Saunders was elected Fellow of the Royal 
Society in 1853, of the Linnean Society in 1833, was at one time 
a Vice-President of the Royal Horticultural Society, and was 
