'292 Obitu 



''!/■ 



one interested in British Ichthyology by the numerous additions he 

 has made, within these two years past, to our native list. 



OBITUARY. 



Professor Afzelius. — " Professor Adam Afzelius, the Nestor 

 of scientific men in Sweden, died at Upsal, on the 30th of last Ja- 

 nuary, aged eighty-six years. He was the last pupil of Linnaeus, 

 and was celebrated for his travels in Asia and Africa. His African 

 Herbarium, we believe, is now in the Banksian collection in the 

 British Museum." Athenxum, April 22, 1837 His name is com- 

 memorated in the genus Afzelia of Sir J. E. Smith. His papers 

 on " Three species of Trifolium," and on the " genus Pausus" in 

 theLinnaean Transactions, Vol. i. and iv., have been pronounced, by 

 the Rev. Mr Kirby, to be " as nearly as possible a perfect example 

 of a monograph ;" and are worthy the careful study of every one 

 who engages in a work of that class. Afzelius is among those " re- 

 spectable names" mentioned by Dr Withering in his list of contri- 

 butors to the third edition of the " Arrangement of British Plants ;" 

 he " looked over," says Withering, " great part of the Author's 

 collection, and afforded many valuable observations concerning the 

 identity of several Swedish and English species." At this time 

 (1796) Afzelius was Demonstrator of Botany in the University of 

 Upsal. He is the author of the following botanical works : 



1. De Vegetabilibus Suecanis observationes et experimental resp. 

 Wadsberg. 1 fasc. in-4. 1785. 



2. Genera plantarum Guineensium, pars prima. 4to. 1804- 



3. De Ptosis Suecanis tentamen primum. 1804. 4to. — Tentamen 

 secundum. 1805. 



E. Donovan, Esq. F. L. S In the Gentleman's Magazine for 



July there is a record of this naturalist's death, with, we believe, a 

 complete list of his writings. He died February 1, 1837, in John- 

 Street, Kennington-road, and " has left a large family in destitute 

 circumstances." The high price of his books has limited their sale, 

 and it is probable that few of them covered the expense of their pub- 

 lication. The principal of them are devoted to the illustration of 

 British Zoology in almost every class : perhaps the best and most 

 interesting is his ' History of British Fishes,' in 5 vols. 8vo, which, 

 however, is more valuable for its plates than the letter-press ; and 

 this indeed may be said of all his works, for they do not rank high 

 in point of original observation or extensive literary research. 

 Foreigners have occasionally ascribed to Donovan the discoveries of 

 Montagu. 



PRINTED BY JOHN STAHK, OLD ASSEMBLY CLOSE, EDINBURGH. 



