51 
The post of Government Botanist and Director of Cinchona 
PED tothe Madras Government was rendered vacant by 
the death of Mr. Lawson in 
It has now been decided by the Government of India to separate 
the two appointments. Mr. W. M. STANDEN has been confirmed 
i that of Manager of the Cinchona Plantations for five years 
Dr. Bourne, the Professor of Biology at the Presidency College, 
having acted in the meantime. The Herbarium and Botanical 
Library have bod n transferred to the custody of the Superintendent 
of the oriedmant Central Museum, Madras. 
By the death of PROFESSOR THOMAS KIRK, on March 8, after 
a short illness, Australasia ho lost another distinguished botanist. 
Of Scotch extraction, Professor Kirk spent the greater part of a 
long life in New Zealand. For some time he held the ert of 
Chief Conservator of State Forests to the Governm of New 
Zealand. His Forest Flora of New Zealand (1889) is a deed 
work which will always maintain his reputation as a botanist, and 
remain as a splendid record of his official services. Latterly 
Professor Kirk has been occupied with a revision of Sir Joseph 
Hooker's Handbook of the New Zealand Flora, in which would 
have been incorporated the results of further research on native 
New Zealand plants since its publication in 1867. For this 
pe pow Professor Kirk was in constont communication with 
where the types described by Sir Joseph Hooker are 
aeoo. Unhappily he has left it little more than half finished. 
A letter received from Professor Kirk, dated February 17, did not 
reach Kew till after the news of his death. But it conveyed no 
intimation of failing health. 
MR. FREDERICK ENOS WILLEY, Curator of the Botanic Station 
at Sierra Leone , died January 18. The cuan Sir Frederick 
Cardew, writing under date January 22, to the Secretary of State 
for the Colonies, recorded his appreciation of the services 
rendered to the Colony by Mr. Willey in the following terms :— 
XTRACT from letter from Governor of Sierra Leone to Colonial 
Office, dated January 22, 1898. 
“I cannot speak too highly of the valuable services which 
Mr. Willey has rendered to this Colony, not only as regards the 
Botanical Gardens, the creation of which is due entirely to his 
skill, ability, and energy, but also in ones an interest in 
agriculture and gardening on the part of the community, and 
I fear that = met with his death in die furtherance of this end, 
for at the time he contracted the fever he was engaged in 
inspecting farms in order that prizes might be awarded for the 
best cultivated ones at the approaching Agricultural Exhibition. 
“Mr. Willey was a conscientious and good officer, a: devoted 
to his work." - 
