42 2 IProc. B.N.F.U, 



When one tries to sum up the impression left by his character 

 and life perhaps the most prominent feature is this — he was a 

 " helper of many." First the shop at 6, North Street, then the 

 Museum was the centre to which all those in Ulster turned for 

 advice and help who were interested in Natural Science. Many 

 of us look back to those days and thank him for encouragement 

 and help always freely given. Then his accuracy was great, a fact 

 which makes his Flora the valuable book it is. Mr. A. G. More 

 once said to a friend that "it was essential to ask contributors to 

 send specimens with their records (for the Cybele Hibemica) and 

 that this method had been rigidly followed with one exception, the 

 records of S. A. Stewart of Belfast were invariably admitted 

 without question." 



His perseverance and enthusiasm never failed in trying to 

 clear up doubtful points. His extreme caution and dread of 

 jumping to a conclusion sometimes discouraged younger workers, 

 and also led him, especially in later life, to miss results which a 

 less sceptical spirit might have attained. He was an old-time 

 naturalist, extremely conservative, and did not take kindly to new 

 methods. I remember him telling me that he had ceased to take 

 so much interest in the Willows since it had come to be accepted 

 that most of the forms in this group were hybrids. The extreme 

 specialisation which has of necessity taken place in all branches of 

 Science was not to his liking. I do not think he took the same 

 interest in the Hawkweeds — his favourite' group of plants — after 

 they had been split up into such a multiplicity of forms. 



The unassuming humility of the man was apparent. Stewart- 

 had his limitations, but he has left a fine example for younger 

 naturalists to follow. We must all feel that we are the better for 

 having known him. 



Mr. R. Lloyd Praeger said — " It falls to my lot to-night to 

 speak of the work of Samuel Alexander Stewart in the domain, 

 first of Botany, then of Geology. And in the first place I should 



