THE 



British Naturalist. 



VOL. Ill 



NATURALISTS OF THE DAY. 



XII. — WILLIAM HENRY FLOWER, K.C B., 



F.R.C.S., LL.D., F.R.S., F.Z.S., F.L.S. 



We have much pleasure, on the commencement of a new volume, 

 in presenting to our readers a portrait of the distinguished naturalist 

 who presides over, the Natural History Museum at South Kensington. 



Professor -Flower was born at the classic town of Stratford-on- 

 Avon, m November, 1831, and was educated privately, afterwards 

 proceeding to University College, London. Developing an early in- 

 clination towards Natural History he especially devoted himself to the 

 collecting and dissection of animals, and, in 1849, matriculated with 

 honours in Zoology, at the University of London. In the same year 

 he entered the medical classes at University College, and became a 

 pupil at Middlesex Hospital. At the former institution he gained the 

 gold medal in Dr. Sharpey's class of Physiology, with the silver 

 medal in Zoology, and passed the first M.B. at the London 

 University, in 1851. He became a member of the Royal College of 

 Surgeons in 1854, and soon afterwards joined the Medical Depart- 

 ment of the Army. In a short time he was gazetted as iVssistant- 

 Surgeon to the 63rd Regiment, and embarked for Constantinople. 

 The suffering of both men and officers in the Crimean campaign, 

 owing to the severity of the climate, are too well known to need 

 comment, and it is little cause for wonderment that Mr. Flower's 

 health soon gave way, and he was invalided home to England, in * 

 recognition of his services in the Crimea he received from the 

 Queen's hands the , war : medal with clasps for Alma, Inkerman, 

 Balaclava, and Sebastopol. 



He now resigned his position in the Army, and joined the staff of 

 Middlesex Hospital as demonstrator of Anatomy. In 1857, he passed 

 the examination for Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons, and 

 in 1858 was elected Assistant Surgeon to Middlesex Hospital, where 



