274 Ohituary Notice. 



over twenty years since it was planted, its heiglit was found 

 to be 24| feet, circumference at 3 feet from ground 47*50 

 inches, and at 5 feet 41*50. 



Mr Alexander Buchan makes the following remarks : — 

 Only a few days before Sir Eobert Christison's illness, he 

 called at the office of the Scottish Meteorological Society, 

 and in the course of conversation mentioned that the Direc- 

 tors of the Highland and Agricultural Society liad asked 

 him to furnish them with a paper on the measurement of 

 trees, with directions for the guidance of observers. About 

 a year ago Sir Robert prepared a similar paper for the 

 Council of the Meteorological Society, and as that paper was 

 in type, I offered to forward a proof of it to Moray Place. 

 The oflfer was declined. Sir Robert preferring to write, 

 quite independently, the paper for the Highland and Agri- 

 cultural Society. The paper, written during his last ill- 

 ness in his usual small and beautifully distinct hand, was 

 drawn up with a clearness, directness, and precision equal 

 to his best days, and showed that, though physically pros- 

 trated, his mental faculties and steadiness of hand were 

 retained in unimpaired vigour. After revising the proof 

 of this paper, he asked for a proof of the paper prepared 

 for the Meteorological Society, which he finally revised, this 

 being the last literary work done by him. 



During the last three years Sir Robert paid particular 

 attention to the effects of the memorable frosts of December 

 1879 and January 1881, as shown in the destruction of 

 forest trees, one of the chief objects in view being to ascer- 

 tain what trees pass uninjured through periods of such low 

 temperatures as the experience of these winters shows to 

 occur in our Scottish climate. The Hungarian oak was 

 especially noted by him as coming unscathed through great 

 frosts, and for these reasons was strongly recommended to 

 be more extensively introduced into this country than has 

 yet been done. During his last illness he asked me to 

 prepare for him a statement of the climate, particularly the 

 winter temperatures, of the districts of the Carpathian 

 Mountains which are the habitat of this oak, but his 

 death took place before there was time to collect tlie data 

 required. 



