HENRY FLETCHER Lomsehaus 7 
It would be worse than eeblinption on my part to offer my 
own critical estimate of Dr. Hance’s scientific work, and I cannot 
e k 
abours, I can speak in very high terms. For upwards of forty 
years he devoted all his spare time to investigating the vegetation 
China, displaying rare ability in ibaioal the technicalities of 
structural and descriptive Botany, at the same time enri riching the 
scientific journals in England with aeomnmnts of new plants of great 
interest in a botanical and economic point of view. In all that he 
attempted he aimed at critical accuracy in identification and 
diagnosis, and this he attained in an eminent degree, so that there 
is no possibility of failure in recognising from his spring ree the 
plants he had aie Viger Had Dr. Hance lived he w 
doubtless have in a connected form an account of es 
vegetable riches of “China, such as it would have been far beyond 
the grasp of any other naturalist to have produced, and this, too, 
with a classical diction that is extremely rare in aie writings of 
scientific men. As it is, he has left no successor in China.’ 
Sir Jos eph Hooker’s ‘concluding see suggest the question 
which hide ‘owbiles occurred to many botanists, of how it hap-° 
pened that Dr. Hance had never pectentcatad himself on a mono- 
of any considerable group of species. It may have been 
that, in his mind, the critical faculty was more developed than the 
constructive. Still, admitting this to the utmost, I feel very 
erudition. And, in justice to him, I desire to lay some stress upon 
this eke which I think will be found to be justified by what 
follow 
Tt i is hardly ae mpere . a; = the loneliness of life at 
Wham oa for such a r. Hance. Outside of his own 
point there were no ioriuaare save ‘the constable of his — 
sulate and a few Customs’ tidewaiters. Shipping had alm 
desert the ri oe was usually a scene of utter mvteg 
Here was Dr. Hance’s home for a quarter of a century, and indeed 
se 1844 till 1886, ° with the exception of one visit to England in 
climatic influences, and with very banat sedeas he not por 
e 
plished so much, under discouraging conditions that would have 
broken the spirit of most men, surely proves that he was endowed 
with vote and moral fibre of no — quality. 
is Herbarium, which, under the provisions of his will, has 
lately been offered to the British Museum, contained, at the 
time of his death, over 22,000 of and — fs ie His 
specimens had all been poisoned and moun y his own hands, 
and were carefully arranged according to the latest authorities. 
