450 In Memoriam : Wm. Watson, M.D., I.M.S, [Sess. 



subjects, and it is to be regretted that no connected narrative 

 dealing with these eventful years was ever written by him. 



Dr Watson's knowledge of the botany of India was so 

 extensive that in 1875 he was commissioned by the Indian 

 Government to draw up an account of the flora of the 

 Himalayan province of Kumaon. This work entailed some 

 labour and research, but the task was duly accomplished. 

 It was chiefly the love of native plants that led him, shortly 

 after he had settled down to his life of leisure, to become 

 a member of this Society, Mrs Watson joining our ranks at 

 the same time. The stimulus of his presence amongst 

 us was soon felt, and in November 1888 he was called 

 to the Presidential chair. He opened the Session with 

 an address entitled "Notes on Natural History in India," 

 in which a most interesting outline was given of the 

 botany and geology of British India, and more particularly 

 of Banda, on the south bank of the Jumna. In this address 

 a passing reference was made to Ceylon, and to Bishop 

 Heber's well-known hymn, with its mention of " India's coral 

 strand " and of Ceylon's " spicy breezes," and where the in- 

 habitants of that island are characterised as idol-worshippers. 

 As an example of Dr Watson's wide and accurate observa- 

 tion, his remarks on these various points are well worth 

 quoting. " All this," he said, " may be beautiful poetry, but 

 it is not altogether correct, from a natural history point of 

 view. In the first place, the shores of India are alluvial or 

 volcanic, not coral. Next, ' spicy breezes ' do not blow over 

 Ceylon ; and when breezes do blow, they certainly do not, as 

 a rule, blow softly. Lastly, whatever the people of India may 

 do, the Singalese, or inhabitants of Ceylon, certainly never 

 * bow down to wood and stone.' It is the very last thing a 

 Buddhist would do, more especially a Buddhist of the Southern 

 sect, to which the people of Ceylon belong, — a sect which has 

 always protested against the slightest approach to idolatry." 

 This, it need scarcely be said, created no little amusement 

 amongst those who listened to it. 



In two successive years we were again favoured with 

 Presidential Addresses from Dr Watson, that for Session 

 1889-90 being "An Account of Gurhwal, a District in the 

 Himalayas," and for Session 1890-91, "A Description of 



