Ohituanj. - 385 



nithology, with one which is unfinished. The light is from the 

 top, as is well known, but, by an unfortunate ovei-sight in the construc- 

 tion, is much less perfect than it might be. They have completely 

 succeeded in a noble room on the opposite side, which is called the 

 Egyptian Room, and is a model for every purpose of construction. 

 We very much wish before the collections are placed, the authorities 

 would examine into the practicability of altering the lights of the 

 gallery in question. It is a mere question of expense, and we cer- 

 tainly think, in a national building, that ought not to be the first 

 consideration, but that of having it complete and perfect as possible. 

 Nothing can be more admirable than the light in the Egyptian Room, 

 and we regret that in an adjoining wing, which is to be occupied by 

 the minerals, lateral lights have been introduced, which, besides the 

 loss of space they entail, we fear will be found quite insufiicient for 

 the purpose. An observation has been made in constructing the ca- 

 binets worthy of notice. Most persons observe in the mineralogical 

 gallery the glare and reflected lights on the glass windows of the ca- 

 binets, owing to the mode of the light falling on them. The cor- 

 rective to this is found to be, the laying them horizontally or flat, 

 instead of sloping in the usual manner. 



On the whole, although these buildings may be open to criticism, 

 we are thankful, considering the mode of laying out the public money 

 in other places, that we shall be comparatively well situated, and we 

 only wish Parliament would hasten the time of their completion by 

 larger grants. — S. C 



Obituary. 

 Feburary 11th 1837, at Winchester, in his 97th year, John La- 

 tham, M. D. F. R., A., and L. SS. Member of the Royal College 

 of Surgeons, and of several foreign learned societies. He was the 

 son of Mr John Latham, a surgeon and apothecary at Eltham, in 

 Kent, where he was born on the 27th June 1740. He was brought 

 up to his father's profession, and pursued it for many years at Dartford, 



whence he removed, in 1796, to Romsey in Hampshire Dr L. 



was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries on the 15th of 

 December 1774 ; and of the Royal Society on the 25th May 1775. 

 In 1788, he was one of the original members or founders of the Lin- 

 naean Society, all of whom he survived. The degree of M. D. was 

 unsolicited conferred on him by a foreign university (we believe 



Vienna) in 1795. At the age of 80 he retired with his second 



wife to the house of his son-in-law, W. N. Wickham, Esq. at Win- 

 chester, where he remained till his death. In his 82d year this in- 



