188 Obituary. 



requisite heat, on account of which the honey becomes candied, and unfit for 

 nourishment. Although these are the reasons usually assigned, still it is more 

 likely that a Lady Bee-keeper's bees died on account of the queen being un- 

 fruitful ; there being an insufficient number of bees in autumn to supply the 

 places of those dying off. If the following observations are applicable in this 

 case, we may conclude that her bees died by the latter way. Last year I had 

 a hive, called a flight or second swarm, in a large skep full of combs. During 

 the season the bees collected plenty of honey, but their increase in number 

 was small, and afterwards they got very weak, owing to there being no brood 

 reared, though there was plenty of brood bread in the brood combs, which 

 showed there was no fault in the bees, but in the queen not being prolific. On 

 the 26th of December the hive in question contained about ten pounds of 

 honey and only a handful of bees, including the queen, in a weak state. T 

 may add, that, in all cases that have come under my notice of hives becoming 

 tenantless during winter whilst they contained honey, there were always 

 but very few dead bees found in them. This coincides with what I have stated, 

 viz., there being an insufficient number of bees in autumn to supply the places 

 of those dying off. — J. Wighton. Cossey Hall Gardens, March 6. 1843. 



Art. IV. Obituary. 



Died, March 7. 1843, at his house in Randolph Crescent, after a short illness. 

 Sir John Robison, K. H. " His father was the late Professor Robison ; a. 

 man still remembered with veneration by many persons now alive, and one of 

 whose talents and virtues Scotland may justly be proud. Sir John Robison 

 passed much of his early life in India ; but for many years he has resided 

 almost constantly in Edinburgh, where his energy in carrying out projects 

 which he considered to be of public utility, his zeal in making known merit 

 amongst ingenious artificers and others, in introducing improvements in the 

 mechanical arts from abroad, and in carrying out his own elegant contrivances, 

 obtained for him a well deserved reputation. His original inventions, which 

 were numerous, were always announced with simplicity and conciseness, 

 without parade of learning or indefinite promises of merely probable benefits 

 to result from them. They were almost invariably accompanied by specimens 

 of his exquisite manual skill, in which, considering the vast variety of practical 

 subjects he was conversant with, he was probably surpassed by no one. 



" Sir John Robison was for many years the indefatigable secretary of the 

 Royal Society of Edinburgh ; and, from the foundation of the Society of 

 Arts for Scotland, he was one of its most active members, and finally its pre- 

 sident. He received the honour of knighthood from Queen Victoria in the 

 first year of her reign, 



" It must be added, that at his house foreigners of any merit or distinction 

 were constantly received in the most friendly manner, and introduced to per- 

 sons of congenial tastes. His name is known, and his loss will be felt, far 

 beyond Scotland or England. There are few countries in Europe which 

 have not, at one time or other, been represented at his hospitable board." 

 (Scotsman, March 8. 1843.) 



Sir John Robison has contributed various valuable articles to this Magazine, 

 and many to the Architectural Alagasine, and the Encyclcpccdia of Cottage 

 Architecture. In the Supplement to that work is given a description of the 

 house in which he died, and in which he had combined, with complete success, 

 every contrivance which he considered requisite to comfort and elegant enjoy- 

 ment. The contriving and superintending of the execution of this house occu- 

 pied Sir John's attention for several years, and the result may be pointed to 

 as one of the best models of a town-house in existence. We mention these 

 things in testimony of our great respect for the deceased, both as a friend and 

 a practical philosopher. — Cond. 



