72 BOTANICAL NEWS. 
proceeded to the New Testament. Altliough I coidd malie out the words 
tolerably well, I did not know bow to pronounce them correctly or to under- 
stand theii' meaning, so I procured Jones's * Pronouncing Dictionary,' and 
went steadily tlu-ougli it." His enthusiastic love of nature was only equalled" 
by his marvellous memory. His own memoir clearly describes the amiable 
manners and simple character of the man. At page 12 he says : — " Much as I 
have rambled over the country, and many as are the people with whom I have 
become acquainted, I have been very fixed in my place of residence. Eeing a 
single man, I have never had a house of my own, but lodge with an elder sister 
of mine. I am well aware that the narrative of the life of a poor man like my- 
self, who has had the greatest diSicidty in procuring the necessaries of life in a 
worn-out trade, like that of a child's leather-shoe maker, and in delivering a 
few newspapers on a Saturday, is anything hut iuterestuig. Had I been allowed 
to have my own way, neither this sketch of my life, nor the book to ^hich it is 
appended, woidd ever have made their appearance. But at the request of 
friends who, in my opinion, think more favourably of my attainments than they 
in strict justice probably ought to do, and who state that my book and history 
may possibly do some little good to my fellow- workmen, by showing them that 
the poor can enjoy the pleasures of studying science as well as the rich, I am 
induced to come out from my obscurity. Originally of anything but a strong 
constitution, I have now reached the age of 62 years ; and, although by no 
means robust, I can yet make a ramble of thirty miles a day, and enjoy the 
beauties of nature with as much zest as ever I did in my life. True, the pur- 
suit of botany has not yielded me much money, but what, in my opinion, is far 
better, it has preserved my health, if not my life, and afforded me a fair share of 
happiness." Mr. Buxton was a good British botanist, so far as flowering- 
plants are concerned, though he did not merit the extravagant praises lavished 
upon him by his friends in the local newspapers, or the tributes paid to his 
memory at the expense of liis Lancaslm-e fellow-workers. His quiet and retiring 
disposition, and humble opinion of his own powers, gave few people, except 
some of his own friends, any idea of the thmker living among them, for his 
knowledge was not confined to botany. His manners and actions bespoke him 
one of nature's gentlemen, and his pure and correct pronunciation of scientific 
terms have caused many who heard him to believe that he was an accomphshed 
classical scholar. He has quietly closed a long and lionoui^able life, devoted in 
a great part to the unostentatious mirsuit_ mirl nnripr flio m^^cf Qrlxr^^c^ ^n.^hyi-.. 
own 
useful knowledge. He had been resident in Manchester for seventy-eight 
years, and his early recollections of what the present city then was were most 
entertaining. 
Tlie following four naturalists have recently been elected Members of the 
Imperial German Academy Naturae Curiosorum, and received, according to 
an ancient usage still upheld, the annexed cognomina :— Mr, J. J. Bennett, of 
the British Museum (Riunphius), Dr. J. E. Gray, of the same Institution, 
(Bonplaud II.), Dr. J. Haast (Leopold von Buch), and Mr. Clements E,. Murk- 
ham (Chinchon). 
The first Part of Seemann's ' Flora Titiensis ' {Ranunculacece to Celasirlnec^) 
has been publislied. 
