SCIEXCE-GOSSIP. 



flowers, and thence to the study of botany. His 

 first book was " Gerard's Herball," which he found 

 in a mutilated condition in his mother's dressing- 

 room. Lea\'ing Eton at eighteen he was entered 

 as a gentleman commoner at Christ Church. 

 Oxford, in 1760. There his botanical studies led 

 him on to other branches of natural history. He 

 apphed for and received permission, as there were 

 then not any lecturers on the subject at Oxford, to 

 establish a lecturer on botany. This he did at his 

 own expense ; %isiting Cambridge for the purpose 

 and bringing back with him Israel Lyons, 

 astronomer and botanist. This he was enabled to 

 do in consequence of the death of his father, which 

 occurred in his first year at collie ; lea^Tng him 

 ample fortune and the family estate. In con- 

 sequence of his remarkable attainments in science, 

 Banks was elected a F.R.S., in 1766, at the early age 

 of twenty-two. He commenced to travel in search 

 of plants in the same year, visiting Newfoundland. 

 and staying the winter following in Lisbon. His 

 great friend was Dr. Daniel Solander, who had 

 been a favourite pupil of Linnsetis. Sir Joseph 

 Banks' first long expedition was with Captain Cook, 

 in the " Endeavour," which he equipped at his own 

 expense, taking Dr. Solander and two draughts- 

 men with him. The "Endeavour" sailed from 

 Plymouth in 176S. He had many adventures, 

 including the scientific observation of a transit of 

 Venus, which was part of the object of his voyage, 

 and collected immense quantities of material. 

 This voyage included South America, South 

 Pacific Islands, New Zealand, New Guinea and 

 Java. On the homeward passage. Cape of Good 

 Hope and St. Helena were visited, and England 

 reached on 12th June, 1771. His next voyage was 

 the exploration of Iceland, in 1772, and in 1777 

 Banks was chosen President of the Royal Society. 

 Then followed some stormy years in the history of 

 the society, the cause being a battle for supremacy 

 between the physicists and what we now call the 

 biologists ; for the time being the latter were 

 successful. 



In 1781 Banks was created a baronet, the Order 

 of the Bath was conferred upon hira, and he 

 became Privy Councillor in 1797- He died from 

 gout at Spring Grove, Isleworth, 19th June, 1820, 

 leaving a widow, but no children. His Ubrary and 

 herbarium were left for life to his librarian, Robert 

 Brown, with reversion to the British Museum ; 

 but Brown, shortly after the death of Sir Joseph, 

 handed over all the treasures to the Museum. Sir 

 Joseph's artist, Francis Bauer, was provided for 

 for life, to enable him to finish certain drawings 

 and make others of new plants at Kew. 



Banks was a munificent patron of Science rather 

 thaTi a worker at detail, and if he ever intended to 

 publish the full results of his collections, he 

 abandoned the idea in 1782, on the death, by 



apoplexy, of his friend Dr. Solander. He had 

 up to then published comparatively little. His 

 manuscripts are now in the botanical department 

 of the British Museum. He was a man of strong 

 v.-ill, considerable energy, and much individuality 

 of character ; in fact he was nothing if not 

 autocratic. 



Thomas Bewick (1753-1828). 



Of the three Bewicks, wood engravers, Thomas 

 Bewick is best known among naturalists as the 

 artist of the interesting engra\ings that illustrate 

 his books upon "British Birds," which is his finest 

 vrork, "British Quadrupeds," and many others. 

 He was bom at Cherryburn House on the southern 

 bank of the river Tjme, at Ovingham, Northumber- 

 land. It was but a cottage, and his father was 

 John Bewick, small farmer and worker of a little 



Thomas Bewick. 



colliery for local consumption of coal. Thomas 

 was the eldest of eight children b}- his father's 

 second wife, and John Bewick the other of the 

 wood engravers of the family was the fifth ; there 

 being five daughters and three sons. 



Thomas Bewick, who seems to have been a lad 

 full of pranks and innocent mischief, had very 

 little education beyond what was locally available 

 in the village, but he early showed a natural talent 

 for drawing, and a deep love of nature. His first 

 attempts at wood engra\dng were copies of inn- signs 

 cut with his knife. Among the first of his 

 drawings were some made with blackberr}^ juice. 

 All this ended in his apprenticeship to Ralph 

 Beilby, at Newcastle-on-T^me, a goldsmith and 

 seal-engraver. Here Thomas Bewick first received 

 instruction in drawing and engraving. Wood- 

 engraving was then in England in a very low 

 condition of art, but it fell to the lot of this youth. 



