LINWEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON. Ivii 



landed in a most precarious state, and, acting under medical ad- 

 vice, lie went to sea again, accompanied this time by his brother, 

 on a trip to the Andaman Islands. Four days after embarking 

 his disease terminated fatally, and he was buried on the 5th of 

 December on Table Island, one of the Cocos group, immediately 

 north of the Andamans, in the midst of a tropical vegetation of 

 the utmost luxuriance and beauty. Mr. Black's decease will be 

 greatly regretted by a very large circle both of British and foreign 

 botanists, by all of whom he was most highly valued, not only for 

 the many services he rendered to them, but for the simplicity of 

 his manners, his amiable disposition, and his truly estimable cha- 

 racter. His modesty prevented his ever becoming an author, but 

 many botanical works owe much of their value to his industry and 

 knowledge ; and at Sir William Hooker's request he drew up a 

 catalogue of the ' Flora of Japan,' which appeared under bis own 

 name in Hodgson's ' Japan,' and of which many copies were dis- 

 tributed by his patron in a separate form. 



Stigh Cuming, Esq., F.B.S., died on the 10th of August, 1865. 

 He was born at West Alvington, near Kingsbridge, in Devonshire, 

 on the 14th of February, 1791. Eemarkable even as a child for 

 his love of plants and shells, the latter taste more especially was 

 largely fostered and developed under the patronage of Colonel 

 Montagu, who resided in the neighbourhood. 



Apprenticed to a sail-maker, he was necessarily brought into 

 contact with seafaring men ; and in 1819 he made a voyage to South 

 America, and settled at Valparaiso. Here his passion for collect- 

 ing shells found ample field for its gratification, and was greatly 

 stimulated by the English Consul, Mr. Nugent, and by several 

 officers of the British Navy, and especially by those in the survey- 

 ing ships under Captains King and Fitzroy. In fact, in 1826, he 

 gave up his business in order wholly to devote himself to his 

 favourite pursuit. With this object he built a yacht, expressly 

 fitted for the collection and stowage of objects of natural history, 

 and a cruise of upwards of twelve months among the islands of the 

 South Pacific amply rewarded him for his toils in dredging and 

 collecting by sea and on shore. On his return to Valparaiso he 

 prepared for a voyage of greater extent, on which lie started under 

 peculiar advantages. The Chilian Grovernment granted him the 

 privilege of anchoring in its ports free of charges, and of purchasing 

 stores free of duty ; and he was also furnished with letters to the 

 authorities of all the states he visited. After two years spent in 

 exploring the coast from the Island of Chiloe to the Gulf of Con- 



