64 



OBITUARY. 



Seed-vessel in Citryophyllacea" an abstract of which was published 

 in the Transactions of the Edinburgh Bot. Soc, to which Society 

 he had already contributed a paper "On a Monstrosity in SiUne 

 inflate," which suggested some generalisations on placentation, and 

 a dissertation " On the Compound Nature of the Corinophyte." 

 He had qualified himself to practise medicine, but his heart was in 

 botanical studies, and in the hope that some suitable opening might 

 present itself to enable him to devote himself to his favourite science 

 he delayed for some time taking any steps to begin the practice of 

 medicine. At length in the beginning of 1862 he was, as he 

 himself wrote, " at last reduced to the dire necessity of announcing 

 himself as a servant of the public, by way of a door-plate." Before, 

 however, any practical issue came of this he was called to act as 

 deputy for Prof. Dickie, then in bad health, in the University of 

 Aberdeen. His investigations into the morphology and development 

 of the flower occupied all his spare time. He made endless pre- 

 parations, and a great series of the most careful drawings ; and his 

 greatest pleasure was to get some appreciative listener to hear his 

 demonstration of his specimens. His little black wicker-work basket 

 containing his precious slides was his constant companion in all his 

 travels. At the close of 1866 he was appointed to succeed Prof. 

 Harvey in the chair of Botany at Trinity College, Dublin, and 

 shortly after he became also Professor in the Royal College of 

 Science, Dublin. His stay in Ireland was short, for in 1868 he was 

 appointed Professor of Botany in the University of Glasgow, in 

 succession to Prof. Walker-Arnott. He found fresh opportunities 

 for prosecuting his investigations on the morphology of plants, and 

 his published memoirs are all characterised by the singularly careful 

 statement of the facts, and by the cautious, judicious, and philo- 

 sophic generalisations based on the facts. He has at different 

 times communicated to the world some of these memoirs through 

 the pages of this Journal. In 1879 the chair of Botany became 

 vacant through the resignation of Prof. Balfour, and Dr. Dickson 

 w r as appointed his successor both as Professor of Botany and as 

 Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh. The 

 duties of the immense class of students in Edinburgh are very 

 heavy, though happily limited to the short summer session. Dr. 

 Dickson went heartily into his work. His masterly knowledge of 

 his subject, his happy illustrations, his facile use of the black-board 

 and his genuine sympathy with his students, who, even the laziest 

 of them, fully appreciated his warm heart and conscientious work, 

 made him universally beloved. No grief at his sudden death sur- 

 passed that of the students of Edinburgh University. In Edinburgh, 

 at Hartree, and wherever he was known, Prof. Dickson will be 

 sorrowed for : he was a true friend, and a good man. 



William Carbuthers. 



We regret to record the death of Prof, de Bary, which took 

 place on Jan. 19th. We hope to give a portrait and memoir of 

 this distinguished botanist at an early date, as also of Prof. Asa 

 Gray, whose death, like that of Dr. Boswell, occurred on Jan. 31st. 



