484 



The next marked step in the progress of Suffolk Botany, was the 

 publication in 1860 of the ' Flora of Suffolk.' Materials for a work of 

 this kind had, through the labours of local and other botanists, been 

 gradually accruing. Some of these had been placed on record in lists 

 published in the Phytologist, old series, by Messrs. J. Townsend and 

 W. L. Notcutt, and by T. W. Gissing in the New Series. Others were 

 contributed by the twelve persons mentioned in the preface of the Flora, 

 viz., Mr. R. Blackett, the Rev. E. N. Bloomfield (now Rector of Guest- 

 ling, Sussex), Sir Charles J. F. Bunbury, Bart., Mrs. Carss, of Wel- 

 netham, Mr. Joseph Gedge, the Rev. J. S. Henslow, the Rev. S. Ric- 

 hards (Rector of Stowlangtoft), the Rev. Henry Roberts, Mr. E. Skepper, 

 Mr. D. Scock, the Rev. K. Trimmer (Vicar of St. George, Tombland, 

 Norwich, Author of the Flora of Norfolk), and Dr. White. Some of the 

 results of the late F. K. Eagle's researches in the North- West portion 

 of the County, were also available for use. 



It fell to the lot of the Rev. Professor Henslow and Mr. Edmund 

 Skepper to place these materials in order, and to give them to the world. 

 Before speaking of their work, let a word be said about its authors. 

 John Stevens Henslow was born at Rochester, February 6th, 1796. His 

 grandfather was Sir John Henslow, Chief Surveyor of the Navy, and his 

 father, John Prentis Henslow, was in business. lu October, 1814, he 

 entered St. John's College, Cambridge, where he took a Wrangler's de- 

 gree. He very early acquired a knowledge of natural history, especially 

 of zoology, mineralogy, chemistry and geology. In 1822, he was elected 

 Professor of Mineralogy, and in 1825, Professor of Botany. From this 

 time until his death on May 16th, 1861, botany occupied the greatest 

 part, though by no means the whole, of his attention. He published in 



1836, ' The Principles of Descriptive and Physiological Botany,' a book 

 which was long considered the best manual of structural and physiolo- 

 gical botany in the English language. 



The list of his books and papers on botany, other branches of 

 natural history and various other subjects, occupy nearly seven pages 

 at the end of his life by the Rev. L. Jenyns, his brother-in-law. In 



1837, he was presented by the Crown to the living of Hitcham, where 

 he resided for the remainder of his life. He took a great interest in 

 the Ipswich Museum, which, from the time of his being elected Presi- 

 dent in 1850, was placed entirely under his direction, and received from 



