SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



241 



DR. BUCHANAN WHITE. 



T7RANCIS BUCHANAN WHITE, m.d., f.l.s., 

 k.e.s., died somewhat unexpectedly at his 

 residence, Annat Lodge, Perth, December 3rd, 

 1894, from a heart affection, at the early age of 

 fifty-five years. 



Dr. White might with justice be called "the 

 Scottish naturalist," for he did more in his 

 generation to popularise and develop an interest 

 in the natural science of the fauna and flora of 

 North Britain than any other person. He was the 

 means of adding several new plants and animals 

 to the Scotch lists. Modest and retiring almost to 

 a fault he unstintingly, for many years, worked for 

 the good of the natural history 

 of Perthshire. He was the 

 founder, in 1867, and first 

 president of the Perthshire 

 Society of Natural Science; 

 than w'hich there are few asso- 

 ciations of a like character 

 that have done better work. 

 From very small beginnings, 

 Dr. White was privileged to 

 see it grow under his fostering 

 care to one of the foremost in 

 the country, owning a hand- 

 some block of buildings, con- 

 taining the museum, lecture- 

 room and library, at Perth. 

 In his early efforts to bring 

 about this result he w-as 

 liberally supported by the late 

 Sir Thomas Moncrieffe, Bart., 



who took a deep interest in the society. Others 

 also helped, such as that well -known ornithologist, 

 Colonel Drummond Hay, of Seggieden, and Mr. 

 Henry Coates, of Perth, the present president. 

 Even now further extension of the Museum is in 

 progress, in which Dr. White took especial interest. 

 He also founded the Perthshire Mountain Club, 

 the members of which were frequently conducted 

 by him to the secluded haunts of many a rare 

 plant and moss. So late as during the past 

 summer he was at one of the club's excursions. 

 Dr. White founded also the Cryptogamic Society 

 of Scotland, and the East of Scotland Union of 

 Naturalists' Societies. 



For some years Dr. Buchanan White was editor 

 of the " Scottish Naturalist," which is now carried 



Dr. Buchanan White, F.L.S., F.E.S. 



on as the "Annals of Scottish Natural History." 

 As a scientific writer he was for a long time 

 prolific, but always trustworthy. His more im- 

 portant work was the report he prepared on the 

 insects brought home by the Challenger Expedition, 

 which appeared in the official Challenger Reports. 

 A monograph on the " Willows of Great Britain 

 was another important work, which was printed in 

 the " Transactions of the Linnean Society," as w r as 

 also a paper on the "Genital Armiture of certain 

 Lepidoptera." His various papers are somewhat 

 scattered, and anyone printing a correct list with 

 dates and places of their appearance, would do 

 useful work, as they occur 

 not only in English scientific 

 periodicals, but also in some 

 on the Continents of Europe 

 and America, all being more or 

 less of scientific value. 



As a naturalist.Dr. Buchanan 

 White possessed marked versa- 

 tility. An excellent botanist, 

 especially cryptogamic, he was 

 even a better entomologist, 

 excelling in a knowledge of 

 several orders. He also took 

 a keen interest in geology, and 

 did much to elucidate the 

 structure of the rocks around 

 Perth. As a collector he was 

 patient and plodding. When 

 he had decided upon " turning 

 up " any particular species it 

 w^as merely a question of time before it appeared 

 to him if there. As a companion on such collect- 

 ing rambles, Dr. White was most entertaining and 

 genial. We had the pleasure of spending some 

 six months in the summer and autumn season 

 of 1S75 with him at Rannoch, in Perthshire, our 

 walks being almost daily together. These have 

 left many happy memories. His stalwart figure, 

 in his accustomed grey kilt, was one of great power 

 and endurance, little short of perfect physical 

 training enabling one to keep pace with him in 

 those long mountain rambles. His manner was 

 gentle and courteous in the extreme, though when 

 roused a bitter sarcasm could be uttered. His 

 chief recreation was curling, he being an honoured 

 member and skip of the Scone and Perth club. 



