74 



NATURE 



[March 17, 1910 



finding it impossible to pursue his medical work to- 

 gether with his duties as locum tenctis in the chair of 

 botany during the illness of Harvey, who was then the 

 University professor, Wright definitely gave up his 

 ophthalmological work in 1866. During the same 

 period his attention was directed to the finds of fossils 

 in the Kilkenny Coal-measures, and in 1S66 he pub- 

 lished, in collaboration with T. H. Huxley, an account 

 of the fossil vertebrata from the Jarrow colliery. 



In 1867 Wright went to the Seychelles Islands to 

 study the fauna and flora of that group. Unfortunately 

 all his collecting apparatus and preserving materials 

 were lost on the way out by shipwreck. Notwithstand- 

 ing this misfortune he succeeded in bringing back an 

 important collection of animals and plants, and in the 

 following years was able to publish a series of papers 

 describing the new and interesting forms collected. 

 These papers, together with others on collections made 

 in Portugal and Sicily in 1868, appeared in the Annals 

 and Magazine of Natural History, in the Transactions 

 of the Royal Irish Academy, and in the British Associa- 

 tion Reports, 1868-76. Shortly after his return from 

 his travels Wright was appointed to the chair of botany 

 in Trinity College, and he held this position until he 

 resigned it in 1904. In 1874 he was elected secretary 

 of the Royal Irish Academy. While University pro- 

 fessor of botany, Wright was chiefly interested in 

 herbarium work, and he devoted much labour and 

 enthusiasm to arranging and indexing the valuable 

 collection of plants belonging to the college. Hence it 

 was no ordinary blow to him when, in 1882, through 

 an ill-considered order of the college authorities, he 

 found the whole collection thrown into confusion, and 

 most of his own labours in the herbarium, and those 

 of his predecessors, dissipated. His despondency was 

 short-lived, and he soon buckled to the weary work 

 of arranging once more, and during the next ten 

 years accomplished, practically without assistance, the 

 task of putting the collection into a condition fit for 

 reference. While at this work he was also engaged, 

 in collaboration with Th. Studer, on the report on the 

 Alcyonaria of the Challenger expedition. 



Speaking from the experience of one who knew 

 only the latter end of Wright's life, his wide human 

 sympathies won the affection of those who came into 

 close contact with him. He was most desirous to for- 

 ward younger men's work in science, and generously 

 helped them by all the means in his power. It was a 

 pleasure to him to put his varied and often recondite 

 knowledge of the literature of natural science at their 

 disposal. He showed the liveliest appreciation of the 

 results obtained by the more modern generation of 

 biologists. As a teacher he was more than ordinarily 

 successful in stimulating the enthusiasm of his 

 classes and in implanting in them the desire to 

 carry out investigation. He had considerable powers 

 as a conversationalist, and his travelling companions 

 remained his life-long friends. At the same time he 

 was sensitive to a fault, so that he was often misunder- 

 stood by those who were not intimately acquainted 

 with him. 



Besides his scientific work, he was deeply interested 

 in antiquarian research, and, as president of the Royal 

 Society of Antiquaries, Ireland, exerted himself by 

 every means in his power to forward the investigation 

 of the antiquities of Ireland. His whole career was 

 marked with affection for his University, and some 

 years before his death he presented Trinity College 

 with a valuable collection of botanical books and 

 journals. Since 1904 his health had been gradually 

 failing, and his previous energetic temperament seemed 

 to desert him. The announcement of his death, which 

 took place on March 4, was a grief but not a surprise 

 to his friends. 



NO. 2107, VOL. 83] 



NOTES. 



The fourth annual meeting of the British Science Guild 

 will be held at the Mansion House, at 4 p.m., on Friday, 

 March 18, under the presidency of the Lord Mayor. An 

 address will be delivered by the Right Hon. R. B. Haldane, 

 F.R.S., and it is expected that Lord Strathcona, the Right 

 Hon. Sir George Reid, Dr. Warren (the Vice-Chancellor 

 of Oxford University), Sir Ernest Shackleton, Sir Alfred 

 Keogh, and Colonel Sir John Young will address the 

 meeting. 



We announce with great regret the death on March 4, 

 in his fifty-fourth 3-ear, of Prof. K. J. Angstrom, professor 

 of physics in the Royal University of Upsala. 



The death is announced, on March 14, of Dr. H. 

 Landolt, professor of chemistry at the University of Berlin 

 from 1 89 1 until 1905, at seventy-eight years of age. 



The annual general meeting of the Chemical Society will 

 be held on Friday, March i8, when Prof. Harold B. 

 Dixon, F.R.S., will deliver the presidential address, entitled 

 " The Union of Hydrogen and Oxygen in Flame." 



We notice with regret the announcement of the death, 

 on March 14, of Dr. J. C. Brown, professor of chemistry 

 in the University of Liverpool, at sixty-seven years of age. 



We regret to see the announcement of the death of Prof. 

 E. Philippi, professor of geology and palajontology in the 

 University of Jena, and geologist to the German Antarctic 

 Expedition of 190 1-3. 



Messrs. Sanders and Co., 71 Shaftesbury Avenue, are 

 making arrangements to hold a series of one-man exhibi- 

 tions from leaders of natural-history work in photography. 

 The first will open early in Ma}', and will be the work 

 of Mr. Richard Kearton. .Admission will be on presenta- 

 tion of visiting card. 



A Reuter message from Berlin announces that a regular 

 airship passenger service will be started on May 15 from 

 Munich to Starnberg and Ober-Ammergau. A dirigible 

 of the Parseval type will be used, with a gas capacity of 

 6700 cubic metres. It will carry twelve passengers besides 

 the crew. It will have two motors, each of 100 horse- 

 power, and will make trips alternately to Starnberg and 

 Ober-Ammergau. 



The King of the Belgians has announced his intention 

 to make a grant of 40,000/. for investigations into the 

 nature and prevention of sleeping sickness. Stations for 

 the study of the disease will be established, the number of 

 doctors will be doubled, and missionaries will be trained 

 in preventive measures at Leopoldville. King Albert will 

 also give 20,oooZ. for the provision of hospitals for natives 

 of the Congo. 



The committee organised a few weeks ago to arrange 

 for a thorough scientific investigation of pellagra appeals 

 for funds to enable it to commission Dr. Sambon to under- 

 take the inquiry. The minimum sum required is 600I., 

 but so far only 230Z. has been subscribed, including 150Z. 

 promised by the Colonial Office on condition that a further 

 amount of 450Z. is found. Subscriptions should be sent to 

 Mr. James Cantlie, honorary secretary and treasurer, 

 Pellagra Investigation Committee, 140 Harley Street, W. 



We have been asked to state that the annual general 

 meeting of the Society of Dyers and Colourists will be j9 

 held this year in the Municipal School of Technology, jf 

 Manchester, on Friday, March 18, at 4 p.m., when the 

 retiring president, Prof. R. Meldola, F.R.S., will deliver , 



