3-14 



NA TURE 



February 7, 189; 



PIERRE DUCHARTRE. 



AS announced in our issue of November S, 1S94, 

 x.'ae. doyen oi French botanists died on the 5th of 

 that month, "having passed away without suffering, at 

 the advanced a^je of eighty-three " Pierre Duch.utre was 

 pre-eminently a practical botanist, whose teachings were 

 largely based upon actual knowledge, acquired by 

 observation and experiment. Almost before the found- 

 ation of the present German school of botanists, of 

 whom Sichi was one of the earliest exponents, Duchartre 

 published {1S67) the first edition of his well-known and 

 highly esteemed 'Elements de Botanique." It was the 

 result of thirty years' study and investigation ; his first 

 paper having appeared as early as 1S36. It is triie 

 that Sachs's " Handbuch der Experimental Physiologic 

 der Ptianzen" preceded it by one year; but for some 

 years Uuchartre's book held its own, not only in France 

 but also in this country. As we learn from a sketch of 

 his life by .Mr. Gaston Bonnier,' Duchartre commenced 

 his botanical studies under exceptionally ditiicult con- 

 ditions, even for that period ; but by great industry and 

 perseverance he soon gained for himself a name and 

 position which he maintained till the last. In 1S4.3 he 

 took up his abode in Paris, where he spent the last fifty 

 years of his lite, engaged in teaching, writing, and 

 original re-^earch. In 1S61 he replaced Payer at the 

 Academie des Sciences, and succeeded him in the 

 Botanical chair at the Sorbonne. For many years 

 Duchartre was one of the principal supporters of the 

 Socitfte Nationale d'Horticulture, and he was seven 

 times elected President of the Socieie Botanique de 

 France, of which he was one of the founders. He was 

 also President of the Socieie Nationale d'Agriculture, 

 and the Acaddmie des Sciences. Physiology and 

 organology, including teratology, were his principal 

 branches ot study ; but his very numerous contributions 

 to botanical and horticultural literature cover a much 

 wider field. Syste natic botany, however, received com- 

 paratively little attenti.)n from him ; a monograph of the 

 Aristolochiace^c being his chief work in this direction. 

 His last work was a summary, from the German, of 

 Engler's additions to Hehn's book on the native coun- 

 tries of cultivated plants. It appeared in the fournal of 

 the French Horticultural Society a month before his 

 death. H. 



NOTES. 



The rcmaios of the late Prof. Cayley were interred at 

 Ciiiibrid,;e on Kiiilay, and, notwiihstanciing the inclemency of 

 the wcai her, snow having fallen heavily during the night, the 

 proceedings were attended by a laryc number of persons. We 

 are indebied lo the Times for the following account of the 

 funeral : — The body was brought from Garden House at two 

 o'lI jck 10 Triiiiiy College, and was met at the great gale by a 

 piocessioD numbciing about 300 gentlemen, among them being 

 man/ notatile men of science. The pall bearers were the Vice- 

 Master of Triniiy (Mr. .\ldis Wiighl), Dr. Glalsher, the Right 

 Hon. George D<.'nman, Prof. Jebb, .M.P., Prof. Sir Kobcrt 

 Ball, Piof. J. J. Thomson, Lord Kelvin, and Prof. Sir G. G. 

 Stokes. The cboir headed the proceuion. Then came the officia- 

 ting clerg) — the Mister o( Tiinily, the Bishop of Durham, and the 

 Rev. K. St. John Pairy, senior dean. Fi.llowing the mourners 

 c«roe the l-ellows of Tiinily College — Mr. J. Prior, Dr. Jackson, 

 Mr. II. M. Taylor, Mr. B. E. Hammond, Dr. Kirkpat.ick, Dr. 

 Stanton, the Ktr. A. II. F. Bou,;hcy, Dr. Vcrrall, Mr. W. W. 

 R. Ball, Mr. R. D. Ilicki, Mr. R. T. GKiicbrook, Mr. F. J. H. 

 Jenkiosun, Dr. P.istgaie, .Mr. Fraser, Mr. J. G. Fraser, Mr. 



' *■ L.« Vi* «t UCirrt^ e S<:ieolifi(|ue dc .M. Duchartre, " Revitt Cfniralt 



J. D. Duff, Mr. A. N. \Vhitehe.nd, Dr. Sidgwir.k, Mr. J. N- 

 Langley, Mr. S. M. Le-ilhes, Rev. C. Plaits, Mr. C. Williams' 

 Mr. A. A. Bevan, Mr. G. T. Walker, Mr. W. C. \Vhelh.-im, 

 Mr. G. A. Davies, Mr. Capslick, .Mr. Innes, Mr. Nicholson, 

 Mr. Cowell, Mr. Moore, and .Mr. Wyse. Then came the Vice- 

 Chancellor of Ihe University and the representatives of the 

 German and United Slates Embassies — viz. H.S.H. Prince 

 Hermann von Schoenburg-Waldenburg for the German Ambas- 

 sador, and Mr. I). D. Wells on l)ehalf of the United States 

 Ambassador. Baron d'Estournelles de Constant had intended 

 to be present as representalive of the French Ambassador, but 

 was prevented at the last moment. The heads of Houses 

 included the Masters of Peterhouse, Clare, Caius, St. 

 C.itharine'.s, Jesus, Christ's, St. John's, Emmanuel, Sidney 

 Sussex, Downing, and Ayerst Hall, the President of t,;ueens', and 

 the Principal of Ridley Hall. The R lyal Society was represented 

 by Lord Rayleigh and Prof. .Michael Foster ; the Royal 

 Astronomical Society by Mr. Knobel ; the Mathematical 

 Society by Major MacMahon, Mr. Kempe, Prof. Elliott, and 

 Prof. Ilenrici ; the Cambridge Philosophical Society by Mr. 

 Larmor and Mr. Newall. The attendance likewise included 

 Profs. J. R. Lumby, H. B. Swete, E. C. Clark, A. Macalister, 

 T. M'kenny Hughes, \V. J. Lewis, H. E. Ryle, E. B. Cowell, 

 J. E. B. Mayor, J. .\. Ewing, W. W. Skeal, Sir G. M. Hum- 

 phrey, and C. S. Roy ; the Public Orator, the Registrary, Dr. 

 Routh, and many others. An impressive service was held in 

 the chapel of Trinity College. The concluding portion of the 

 service took place at the Mill Ro.id Cemetery, the Bishop of 

 Durham committing ihe body lo the grave. 



We are glad to see that the Duke of Argyll has recovered 

 sufficienlly from bis illness lo remove from the residence of 

 Lord Kelvin lo Inverary Castle. 



The very extensive and valuable botanical library of the 

 late Prof. N. Pringsheim has been presented to the German 

 Botanical Society, of which he was President, together with a 

 sum of 25,000 marks for ils maintenance. 



The Berlin correspondent of the British Medical journal 

 reports that a gift of 1,500.000 marks (^75,000) has come lo 

 the German Royal .\cademy of Sciences from a widow lady, 

 Frau Wenzel. The sum is to remain as a foundation, and Ihe 

 interest used to assist scientific inquiries of importance. 



The death is announced of Dr. Lombard, the author of a 

 standard work on Climatology from a medical point of view, 

 and in 1882 the President of the Inlcrn.itional Congress of 

 Ilygieueat Geneva. .\n eminent German engineer — Hermann 

 Gruson — h.as also just died, at M-igdeburg. 



Reuter's correspondent at Chrisliania reports that earth- 

 quake shocks were felt at Chrisliansund, Molde, Aalesund, and 

 Bergen between 12.15 and "•43 "" '''^ morning of Tuesday, 

 February 5, cau ing windows to rattle and disturbing furniture. 

 The direction of the vibrations was from south-east to north- 

 west. 



A DEfUTATlON from the recent Indian Medical Congress 

 has (says the Lancet) wailed upon Sir Anthony MacDonnell, 

 controlling Ihe Home Department, lo urge upon the Govern- 

 ment of India the extension of facilities for the study of pre- 

 ventive medicine and Ihe prosecution of scientific research in 

 that country. Sir .\nlhony MacDonnell, in his reply, assured 

 the deputation of his interest in the objects in view, and an- 

 nounced ihal, in addition to the bacteriological laboratory at 

 Agra, a similar institution for experimental research was to be 

 established at Lahore. 



The United Slates Government hasesiablishcd an additional 

 wind signal, to be known as Ihe " llurric.ine Signal," to be 

 used in adJilion to the storm s goals previoudy shown. The 



NO. 1319, VOL. 51] 



