236 Transactions British Mycological Society. 



CHARLES OGILVIE FARQUHARSON. 



By E. M. Wakefield, F.LS. 



In the list of passengers missing after the loss of the s.s. 

 "Burutu," homeward bound from West Africa, on the night 

 of October 3rd, 1918, occurred the name of Charles Ogilvie 

 Farquharson, M.A., B.Sc, Mycologist to the Agricultural 

 Department, Southern Provinces, Nigeria. C. O. Farquharson 

 was born at Murtle, Aberdeenshire, in February, 1888, and 

 was educated at Robert Gordon's College, Aberdeen. From 

 there he entered the University, in 1905, and at first intended 

 reading for the Honours Degree in Classics. At the end of 

 his second year, however, he decided to devote himself to 

 Natural Science. After graduating in Arts he took the Science 

 course, and gained his degree of B.Sc. in 191 1, with special 

 distinction in Botany. Shortly afterwards he came to Kew, 

 and worked for a few months at Mycology and Plant Pathology 

 under the late Mr. G. Massee. He was appointed Mycologist 

 in South Nigeria, and sailed in the beginning of 1912. 



The multifarious duties which fall to the lot of officers in 

 Colonial Agricultural Departments did not leave him much 

 leisure for purely mycological work. He was, however, keenly 

 interested in the subject, and in the intervals of acting as 

 Assistant Director, Entomologist, or Agricultural Inspector, as 

 occasion demanded, he was able to collect fungi to some extent, 

 and accumulated a fund of information with regard to plant 

 diseases in West Africa. In a letter to the Assistant Director at 

 Kew, dated September 23rd, 1918 and sent by the mail following 

 the ill-fated vessel on which he sailed, he gave a graphic 

 summary of his work, discussing the problems to be faced, 

 and the kind of training his experience had led him to believe 

 best for such work. This letter, which was published in the 

 Kew Bulletin, No. 10, 1918, is of general interest to all con- 

 cerned with tropical plant pathology. His sound judgment 

 renders his views worthy of close consideration. 



The letter shows that he had a strong presentiment that he 

 might not reach home. His botanical friends mourn the loss 

 of a very charming personality, as well as of a mycologist who 

 promised to have a useful and distinguished career. Unfor- 

 tunately much of his detailed knowledge is lost with him, as 

 partly through modesty and partly through lack of time he 

 had published little. Mr. Farquharson sent home to Kew 



