Royal Society. 149 
Boyton House, near Heytesbury, and inherited the name of Bourke 
from his mother, who was the daughter of Viscount Mayo. He 
died at Kew on the 10th of January of the present year, having 
nearly completed his 8lst year. His name appears among the 
original members of the Linnean Society, and for nearly fifty years 
he was one of its Vice-Presidents. He became a Fellow of the 
Royal Society in 1791, and consequently had belonged to it for 
more than half a century. He was an eminent botanist, and formed 
a very extensive herbarium, and was at all times anxious to give in- 
formation to those attached to the same pursuit. He was the author 
of many papers in the Linnean Transactions, but his most consider- 
able works were two separate publications. One on the genus Cin- 
chona was given to the world in 1797. The other was a description 
of the genus Pinus,—a truly magnificent work, which originally came 
before the public in two vols. folio in the year 1803, to which a 
third vol. was added in 1834. 
He married Catherine, daughter of Richard Bowater, Esq., whom 
-he survived some years, and by whom he left no family. He did 
not furnish any papers to the Transactions of the Royal Society. 
Sir ALEXANDER Burnes is undoubtedly one of those whose 
death will be most lamented by a country that was proud of his 
eminent qualities, and grateful for his zealous services. 
The name of Burnes was already distinguished in the northern 
portion of our island. It has received a new lustre from one well 
worthy of his descent from the same family as Scotland’s celebrated 
poet. Sir Alexander was born at Montrose on the 16th of May, 
1805. The same town had the honour of his education. He en- 
tered on his career of active service as a cadet of the Bombay army 
in the year 1821. At the early age of twenty he was appointed 
Persian interpreter to a force of 8000 men assembled under Colonel 
Napier for the invasion of Sinde. The following year he was ap- 
pointed Deputy-Assistant-Quarter-Master-General. 
He received, in 1827, the thanks of Government for an elaborate 
statistical report; and the following year, the Government showed 
itself equally satisfied with a valuable memoir of the eastern mouth 
of the Indus. This was succeeded by a valuable supplement. 
In 1828, Lieut. Burnes applied for permission to visit the country 
between the Indus and Marwar; but though this plan was approved 
of by Sir John Malcolm and Sir Henry Pottinger, its execution was 
delayed. Burnes was appointed the same year Assistant-Quarter- 
Master-General, and received orders from the Court of Directors 
to complete a map of Cutch already commenced by him. Shortly 
after, he was appointed assistant to the political agent in Cutch, and 
published in the Transactions of the Royal Geographical Society an 
account of his survey of that country. 
In 1830, he was sent with a present of horses from the King of 
England to Runjeet Singh. He visited Hydrabad, Lahore, Soo- 
diana, and proceeded to Simla to receive further instructions from 
Lord W. Bentinck. 
After travelling into Central Asia, he revisited Bombay in 1833 ; 
