Bo THE ; ; 
JOURNAL .OF BOTANY, 
BRITISH AND FOREIGN. 
E * 
BERTHOLD SEEMANN. m 
A KEEN observation, a retentive memory, great energy and perseverance, 
with an extensive acquaintance withmany countries, combined to produce 
in Dr. Seemann a naturalist of a high order, and his extensive scientific 
knowledge had the advantage of beng mainly founded on ‘actual observa- 
tion, The thoroughly practical character of his mind led him always to 
try to turn his acquirements to some useful result to mankind, and in the 
pursuit of such objects he not unfrequently seemed to leave the strict 
paths of science; in botany, however, though the study of plants was but 
one among other subjects of interest in his many-sided mind, the scien- 
. tific aspect was in reality always first. It was his hope and expectation 
. to have soon settled down to steady work at science in England, but he 
has dared the climate of the tropics once too often, and at the compara- 
tively early age of forty-seven his busy and useful life has ended. 
Berthold Seemann was born on February 28th, 1825, at Hanover, 
being one of a family of whom several, as well as his mother, are still 
living: He was educated at the Lyceum of his native town, where the 
head-master at that time was the celebrated Grotefend, one of the earliest 
decipherers of cuneiform writing. It was from the son of this gentleman 
that young Seemann received his first lessons in Botany, and this soon 
became his chief study. He early acquired some aptitude in writing, his 
first article having been written at the age of seventeen. Two years after 
this, in 1844, full of a desire to travel in foreign countries, he came to Kew 
with the object of fitting himself for the work of a botanical collector. 
and worked in the garden under the then curator, Mr. John ima 
Here he was so fortunate as to gain the good opinion of Sir W. 
Hooker, on whose*recommendation he was in 1846 appointed, by fe 
Admiralty, naturalist to H.M.S. Herald, Captain H. Kellett, C.B., which 
© had been employed since June, 1845, on a surveying expedition in the 
Pacific. This post had become vacant by the untimely death, of Mr. 
Thomas Edmonston,* by the accidental discharge of a rifle, d Sua, on 
* See ‘ Narrative of e botanist. D n H.M.S. Herai i- p. 67, kei s a skete 
of the life of this pro a a named efter him matin) 
: t 
Te 
N.3. VOL. I. quU i, L Es B 
bur 
