January, 1917-] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 5 
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ROF. DANIEL OLIVER, F.R.S.—This distinguished botanist, who 
Pp for twenty-five years was Keeper of the Herbarium and Library of the 
Royal Bétanic Gardens, Kew, passed away in his sleep on Thursday, 
December 21st last, in his eight-sixth year. Professor Oliver, who was 
born at Newcastle-on-Tyne in 1830, commenced his botanical career by 
studying the British flora, and as early as 1847 was a writer on the plants 
of different geological formations. In 1858 he became assistant to Sir 
William Hooker, and some six years later, soon after his election as a 
Fellow of the Royal Society, was appointed Keeper and Librarian, a post 
which he held till his retirement in 1890. For some twenty-six years he 
was also Professor of Botany,at University College, London, in which he 
succeeded Dr. Lindley. Prof. Oliver had an unrivalled knowledge of 
flowering plants, and a considerable knowledge of Orchids, though the 
latter were mostly handed over to Reichenbach, who for many years was a 
correspondent of Kew and an occasional visitor. We recall, however, that 
Oliver was the author of the remarkable Eria extinctoria (Bot. Mag., t 
5910), which Lindley had referred to Dendrobium. Of a quiet and retiring 
disposition, Prof. Oliver gained the affection and esteem of all his colleagues 
by his zeal and kindliness. His services to botany were recognised by the 
award of the Royal Medal in 1884, and the Gold Medal of the Linnean 
Society in 1893. He was interred at the Friends Burial Ground, Isleworth, 
on December 24th. 
OBITUARY. 
AN OrcHip ROCKERY IN TRINIDAD.—An interesting experiment is being 
carried out in the Royal Botanic Garden, Port of Spain, Trinidad, as we 
learn from Mr. R. O. Williams, who left Kew a few months ago to take up 
an appointment there. Mr. Williams remarks: ‘‘ The Orchid collection is 
fairly representative of the native species, but it is not very rich in the 
introduced ones, Just lately we have been felling a number of trees, and 
the logs from them we have utilised to form a kind of rockery, over which 
we have planted our spare Orchids, such as Dendrobium moschatum, 
Vanda teres, Aérides, Oncidiums, &c. Some of the logs had Orchids 
growing on them, so it was only necessary to lay these in position. The 
flat dells we are planting with such things as Adiantums, Selaginellas, 
Begonias, &c. It is quite a novelty, and the people here are getting 
interested. It should look rather nice when the Orchids begin to flower. 
The whole place is partially shaded with such trees as Theobroma bicolor 
and T. angustifolia (wild Cocoa), so that the Orchids should not suffer 
much in the dry season,” ; 
