42 President's Address. 



father was a forester. Even in his school days lie took a 

 lively interest in hotany, and devoted his leisure hours to 

 its prosecution. In course of time he attended the college 

 at his native town, and afterwards studied theology and 

 philosophy at Halle ; but he specially applied himself to 

 the natural sciences, under the care of Professor von 

 Schlechtendal, Burmeister, and Germar, but more particu- 

 larly to botany. He then obtained a tutorship in an 

 excellent family, which he retained for some years ; and 

 was thereafter appointed as a teacher at the princely college 

 of Sonderhausen, and here he continued to act as professor 

 till removed by death. 



He was indefatigable in his prosecution of botanical 

 science, and by his numerous and able writings soon 

 attracted the attention of the principal botanists of the 

 day ; and for years he lived in constant scientific and 

 intellectual intercourse with the most eminent scholars of 

 Germany and foreign countries. Alexander von Humboldt, 

 St Hilaire, Francois Guizot, Treviranus, Martius, and many 

 others, favoured him with their attention and correspond- 

 ence. His principal works are in the province of the 

 Morphology of Phanerogamous Plants, especially of the 

 underground portion of the axis in Monocotyledons. The 

 Philosophical Faculty of the University of Eostock, 

 granted him the honour of the degrees of Doctor of 

 Philosophy and Master of Arts honoris causa, and in the 

 diploma they thus speak of him : — " This skilful scholar, by 

 keenness of sight, has most happily observed the most hidden 

 mysteries of plants, both under and above ground ; he has 

 most skilfully expounded, and most learnedly illustrated 

 them." 



The number of societies which admitted him to their 

 fellowship is another proof of the high estimation in 

 which he was held. He was a member of the Antiquarian, 

 and an honorary member of the Agricultural Society of 

 Sonderhausen. He was also Keeper of the Natural History 

 Museum there. He was a member of the Eoyal Bavarian 

 Botanical Society of Eegensburg ; and also of the Associa- 

 tion for the Science of Nature in Saxony and Thuringia ; 

 and of the Society of Natural Philosophers of Halle. He 

 was also a member of the Physico- Medical Society of 



