270 Ohituary Notice. 



Edinburgh — Dr Andrew Wood, Professor Sanders, and 

 Sir Robert Christison ; and I have the painful reminis- 

 cence that all the three who attended me during my 

 serious illness of two years' duration are now departed. 



The following is supplied by Mr Taylor : — 

 Dr Christison joined our Botanical Society on July 14, 1836, 

 — ^just four months after its foundation, — and at once dis- 

 played that active interest on its behalf so much appreciated 

 by all of us during his latter years. His work, as recorded in 

 our Minute-books and Transactions, may be looked at under 

 the following heads : — first, official service in the Council 

 and in the President's chair; secondly, communications more 

 or less in the line of his professional studies ; thirdly, 

 contributions mainly of botanical observations made during 

 vacation tours ; and fourthly, special papers on dendrology 

 and dendroraetry. We are also indebted to him for 

 numerous donations to the Eoyal Botanic Garden, and 

 to its associated Herbarium and Museum. 



Professor Christison was elected a Vice-President in 

 1837-38, and from that time till 1853 he held office of 

 some kind. He demitted his Vice-Presidentship in 1840, 

 but Mr Daniel ElHs, F.E.S.E., his successor, having sud- 

 denly deceased, Dr Christison resumed office in March 

 1841, at the unanimous request of the Society, and was 

 made President at next election. The Minute-books of 

 those times show continuous well-directed effort, in regu- 

 lating the affairs of the Library and Museum, in obtaining 

 the Society's act of incorporation from the Town Council 

 of Edinburgh, in effecting the housing of the Herbarium 

 and Library within the walls of the University, and in 

 introducing the innovation of tea after our evening meet- 

 ings. A blank of such services appears from 1853 till the 

 close of December 1873, when the new baronet was elected 

 President, an office which he continued to hold for three 

 successive sessions. Sir Robert Christison's name stood 

 first in the present Council list. 



Professor Christison's early communications, all short 

 and pointed, whether papers or remarks made at dis- 

 cussion time, were chiefly in the line of his special 

 branch of academic teaching. In 1837 he is reported as 



