1888-89.] Dr Bosivell of Balmuto. 517 



Botany. He checked the lists of Fife, West Perth, Kin- 

 cardine, and Orkney. 



He became a member of this Society in 1843, and in 1850 

 nndertook the Curatorship of the Herbarium, then located in 

 the upper story of the University. 



In February 1850, he read his first paper, on the plants 

 collected during a visit to his relatives in Orkney in the 

 summer of 1849. It is recorded in our Transactions (iv. 

 p. 29), and attracted the attention of Hewett Watson, and a 

 friendship began which led to his being offered the curator- 

 ship of the Botanical Society of London in 1851. Syme 

 then gave up his profession, removed to town, and devoted 

 all his energies to his favourite studies. He lived in Adelaide 

 Eoad, Haverstock Hill, and his house was a rendezvous for 

 metropolitan field botanists. 



In 1852 and 1854 he explored the vicinity of London, and 

 found many South England plants he had never seen before. 

 Two papers on his Middlesex excursions will be found in the 

 Phytologist, vol. iv. Mr Baker of Kew states {Jour. Bot., 

 xxvi. 83) that the parcels which the members of the London 

 Botanical Society at this period received consisted largely of 

 London and Scotch plants gathered by Watson and Syme. 

 The London Botanical Society was broken up in 1857. The 

 early editions of the " London Catalogue " were mainly the 

 work of Mr Watson. Mr Syme shared the preparation of the 

 5th, 6th, and 7th editions. 



In 1854 Mr Syme was elected a Fellow of the Linnean 

 Society, and in the same year was appointed lecturer on 

 botany in the Charing Cross School of Medicine, and also at 

 Westminster Hospital, where he did duty for many years. 



In 1860 he lectured on natural history at the IsTew College, 

 Edinburgh, after the death of Professor Fleming, and before 

 the appointment of Professor Duns. 



In 1863 the third edition of English Botany was began, 

 and upon this Syme's botanical reputation mainly rests 

 The eleven volumes appeared between 1863 and 1872. 



The accuracy and carefulness of his descriptions are too 

 well known to members of this Society and to British 

 botanists from daily experience of their usefulness to need 

 any commendation here. 



Mr Baker has well observed (loc.cit.), "the power which Syme 



