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life to reading, retiring from public work in 1898. His botanical 

 work lay chiefly among the freshwater Algfe, especially the Des- 

 midiea:, upon which group he was a recognised authority. He was 

 engaged with the Rev. John Ferguson in preparing a flora of the 

 north-east of Scotland, his share of which was fortunately completed 

 some time before his death. In 1889 the Senate of the University 

 of Aberdeen conferred on him the honorary degree of LL.D., in 

 recognition of his scientific merits. Dr. Roy died somewhat 

 suddenly at Aberdeen on the 18th of December last. He con- 

 tributed to this Journal in 1886 some "Notes on Japanese Desmids," 

 and in 1890 a paper on the freshwater Alga? of Enbridge Lake, 

 Hampshire— the latter is omitted from the bibliography appended 

 to Prof. Trail's notice. 



The Annals also gives us a biography, with portrait, of the Rev. 

 Geobge Gobdon — whose name had so long disappeared from current 

 botanical literature that it found a place in the Biographical Index, 

 followed by the words, " fl. 1839." Yet until 1889 Dr. Gordon was 

 at his manse at Birnie, where he had been since 1832, and where 

 his botanical work was done. Since 1839, when he published his 

 Collectanea for a Flora of Moray,— a, MS. draft of which, dated 1829, 

 is in the Botanical Department of the British Museum,— he appears 

 to have devoted little attention to botany; and his claims to a 

 permanent place among Scottish men of science mainly rest upon 

 his geological researches. In British botany his name will be per- 

 manently associated with Pinguieula alpina, which he was fortunate 

 enough to add to our flora in 1831. Dr. Gordon was born at 

 Urquhart in 1801, and died at Braebirnie, Elgin, on the 12th of 

 December last. 



We are glad to learn that Mr. Charles Baron Clarke, F.R.S., 

 has been nominated by the Council of the Linnean Society for 

 election as President at the Annual Meeting on May 24th. 



By the publication of the fourth part of vol. ii. of the fourth 

 series of the Icones Plantarum, Sir Joseph Hooker has completed 

 the task which he had set himself in figuring and describing more 

 than two hundred of the Orchids of India. Botanists will recognise 

 their obligations to the veteran botanist for the excellent work thus 

 brought to a conclusion. The species present no attractions to 

 cultivators, and the great majority are here figured for the first 

 time. Sir Joseph Hooker is now busily engaged on the Indian 

 Grasses, by the publication of which the Flora of British India will 

 be brought to a satisfactory termination. 



Prof. R. A. Philippi continues to publish his "Plantas nuevas 

 Chilenas" in the Anales de la Universidad de Chile, the last instal- 

 ments of which ( 1898 and 1894) have just reached us. It is much 

 to be regretted that the author does not see his way to issue 

 fasciculi of the plants published, which are, if we mistake not, 

 entirely unknown in European herbaria. The large number of 

 novelties described— in many cases without any indication of their 

 affinity— render some means of access to types extremely desirable. 



