I02 West American Scientist. 



NECROLOGY. 



William Cross, of Glasgow, a famous shawl manufacturer, a man 

 of letters, an artist and a poet, died lately in his 82d year. 



George Crompton. distinguished as an inventor of many im- 

 proved looms, died at his home in Worcester, Mass., Dec, 29, 

 1886, aged 55 years. 



Hilborne L. Roosevelt, an eminent organ builder, electrician 

 and inventor died at his residence in New York., Dec. 29, 1886, 

 aged 36 years. 



Dr. William ^erry, died Jan. 11, 1887, aged 98 years. He was 

 the sole survivor of the passengers on Fulton's first steamboat- ride 

 down the Hudson. 



Prof E. L. Youmans, mentioned in the West American 

 Scientist for March, died Jm. 11, 1887. 



Louis Bazille died in Montpelier, France, Nov. 25, 1886. Not- 

 ed for the useful results of his studies of grape culture. 



Jules Lichtenstein, noted for his horticultural and entomological 

 studies, departed this life Nov. 30, 1886. 



Sir Joseph Whitworth, an English inventor, died Jan. 22, 1887, 

 aged 83 years. 



Dr. S. A. T. Tuelberg, a Scandinavian botanist, died Dec. 15, 

 1886, aged 34 years. 



Rudolf von Uechtritz. chiefly known for his studies of the 

 Silesian flora, died Nov. 21st last, aged 48. 



Don Francisco Loscos y Bernal, a Spanish botanist, died in last 

 November, aged 63. 



Father Scortechini, a well known Indian botanist, recently died 

 at Calcutta. 



Marshall P. Wilder, well known to all plant cultivators, died 

 Dec. 17th last, aged 88. 



HYDRA TION OF WOOD. 



From a series oi experiments which he has made upon the 

 amount of water contained in highly lignified plants, in various 

 seasons and under varied conditions of growth, Professor D. P. 

 Penhallow has drawn the conclueions that the hydration of woody 

 plants is not constant for all seasons, and depends upon condi- 

 tion of growth; that it reaches its maximum during the latter 

 part of May or early June, and its minimum during January; 

 that it is greatest in the sap-wood and least in the heart-wood, 

 and that the greatest hydration is direcdy correlated to the most 

 active growth of the plant, while lignifications and storage of 

 starch and other products are correlated to diminishing hydra- 

 tion. — American Analyst. 



