404 MISCELLANEA. [1882. 



by learning that the Emperor of Brazil had expressed a wish 

 to meet him. Owing to absence from home my father was 

 unable to comply with this wish ; he wrote to Sir J. D. 

 Hooker : — 



" The Emperor has done so much for science, that every 

 scientific man is bound to show him the utmost respect, and 

 I hope that you will express in the strongest language, and 

 which you can do with entire truth, how greatly I feel hon- 

 oured by his wish to see me ; and how much I regret my ab- 

 sence from home." 



Finally it should be mentioned that in 1880 he received 

 an address personally presented by members of the Council 

 of the Birmingham Philosophical Society, as well as a memo- 

 rial from the Yorkshire Naturalist Union presented by some 

 of the members, headed by Dr. Sorby. He also received in 

 the same year a visit from some of the members of the Lewis- 

 ham and Blackheath Scientific Association, — a visit which 

 was, I think, enjoyed by both guests and host.] 



MISCELLANEOUS LETTERS — 1876-1882. 



[The chief incident of a personal kind (not already dealt 

 with) in the years which we are now considering was the 

 death of his brother Erasmus, who died at his house in Queen 

 Anne Street, on August 26th, 1881. My father wrote to Sir 

 J. D. Hooker (Aug. 30) : — 



" The death of Erasmus is a very heavy loss to all of us, 

 for he had a most affectionate disposition. He always ap- 

 peared to me the most pleasant and clearest headed man, 

 whom I have ever known. London will seem a strange place 

 to me without his presence ; I am deeply glad that he died 

 without any great suffering, after a very short illness from 

 mere weakness and not from any definite disease.* 



" I cannot quite agree with you about the death of the old 



* " He was not, I think, a happy man, and for many years did not 

 value life, though never complaining." — From a letter to Sir Thomas 

 Farcer. 



