I'lO 



3n HDemoriam. 



THOS. SCOTT JOHNSTONE. 



The death occurred at Carlisle on February 5th, at the age of 

 fifty-three, of Thos. Scott Johnstone, Vice-President of the 

 Carlisle Natural History Society, and a former President. His 

 interests were many and varied. He was connected in one 

 way or another with the several Scientific Societies existing 

 in the border city. 



It is as a botanist, however, that he chiefly merits claim to 

 notice here. Naturalists in all branches of study have always 

 been few in Cumberland, botanists fewest of all, and in the 

 Carlisle district Johnstone was practically alone in his studies 

 in recent years. During its existence of twenty-three years, 

 he was almost the only member of the Carlisle Natural History 

 Society who specialised in phanerogamic botany. Having the 

 field to himself, practically everything of botanical note in 

 the area in question was the result of his investigations. Cen- 

 tred in a fertile plain, as yet but little affected by the adverse 

 influences of industry, he had ample scope for his researches. 

 Rural lanes, moss, and woodland are within easy reach of 

 Carlisle, while equally accessible the salt marshes and sand 

 hills of the Solway Firth were the scene of many noteworthy 

 rinds. 



As a result of many years of study, he amassed notes of the 

 greatest value on the Carlisle Flora, and also formed a select 

 and carefully prepared herbarium, which it is hoped will 

 eventually be placed in the Carlisle Museum. Of a naturally 

 retiring disposition, it is a matter for regret that he published 

 little. He, however, contributed several important papers to 

 the Carlisle Society on ' Plant Life around Carlisle,' which are 

 published in the Society's Transactions, and also on ' Rare 

 Cumberland Plants,' which will eventually be published. 



Latterly, he devoted much time to tabulating and arranging 

 the botanical notes in the diary of Bishop Nicholson, who 

 held the See of Carlisle over two hundred years ago. The 

 diary, which is dated 1690 and is in manuscript, is preserved 

 in the Archives of Rose Castle, the episcopal residence. These 

 notes naturally contain many puzzles in nomenclature, but 

 by much patient labour, Johnstone overcame them and com- 

 pleted his transcription some little time before he died. 

 This, it is hoped, will form the subject of a posthumous paper 

 to the Carlisle Society. On the formation of the Cumberland 

 Nature Reserve Association in 1913 he entered into its work with 

 zeal and energy. 



On the acquirement of Kingmoor Common by the Associa- 

 tion, he was appointed its botanical recorder, and his first list 

 of the Flora was published in The Naturalist in 1915, pp. 



Naturalist. 



