Ixvi PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



splendid work, ' The Cabinet of Oriental Entomology.' He died 

 in October last. 



Sir W. JacJcson SooJcer, Knight of the Hanoverian Guelphic 

 Order, and Companion of the Legion of Honour, Corresponding 

 Member of the Institute, B.C.L., LL.B., F.B.S., F.G.S., ^c, was 

 born at ]S!"orwich, on the 6th of July, 1785, and died at Kew, after 

 a short illness, on the 12th of August, 1865. 



His father, a native of Exeter, was descended from the Secre- 

 tary for Ireland whose name appears as a large contributor to 

 HoUingshed's Chronicles, and was a member of the same family 

 as Richard Hooker, the author of the ' Ecclesiastical Polity.' 

 His son received his education at the High School of Norwich, 

 under the tuition of the Eev. Dr. Eoster. Having inherited, 

 through his godfather, "William Jackson, Esq., an ample compe- 

 tency in landed property, he determined to devote his life to tra- 

 velling and to scientific pursuits. Being a keen sportsman, he 

 formed a fine collection of the birds of Norfolk ; and becoming 

 very intimate with Messrs. Kirby and Spence, Alexander Mac- 

 Leay, Esq., and other distinguished entomologists, he also devoted 

 much of his attention to entomology. About this time he also 

 became acquainted with Sir J. E. Smith, by whom he was encou- 

 raged to commence the study of botany — afterwards the main 

 pursuit of his life. In 1806, when he came into possession of his 

 estates, he seems to have given up everything for natural history. 

 He made extensive botanical tours in the wildest parts of Scot- 

 land, accompanied, first, by Dawson Turner of Yarmouth, his 

 future father-in-law, and afterwards by W. Borrer of Henfield, 

 long the Nestor of English botanists. At this time also he re- 

 sided much in London, where he made the acquaintance of Sir 

 Joseph Banks, Eobert Brown, Drs. Solander and Dryander, &&., 

 and, indeed, of most of the distinguished scientific men of the 

 day. 



In 1809 he visited Iceland, which he extensively explored, 

 making large collections in all branches of natural history ; but 

 these, together with all his notes and drawings, were totally lost 

 on his way home, through the burning at sea of the ship of marque 

 in which he was returning, and which was bringing Danish pri- 

 soners to England. An account of his almost miraculous escape, 

 owing to the arrival of another vessel in mid ocean, will be found 

 in the modest narrative called ' Recollections of Iceland.' 



In 1810-11 he made considerable preparations for accompanying 

 Sir Robert Brownrigg to the then little-known island of Ceylon, 



