74 
The  thanks  of  the  Club  are  also  due  to  the  following 
gentlemen  for  their  notes  on  the  critical  species — 
Mr.  A.  Bennett,  Rev.  E.  F.  Linton,  Rev.  W.  R.  Linton, 
Rev.  E.  S.  Marshall,  Rev.  W.  Moyle  Rogers,  Mr.  W. 
Barclay,  Mr.  C.  Bucknall,  Dr.  E.  Drabble,  Messrs.  H.  &  J. 
Groves,  Mr.  H.  W.  Pugsley,  Mr.  C.  E.  Salmon,  Major 
A,  H.  Wolley-Dod,  and  to  Mrs.  Gregory. 
SPENCER  H.  BICKHAM, 
Distributor  for  the  year  1906 — 1907. 
Parcels  of  plants  should  be  sent,  by  Jan.  31,  to  Mr. 
F.  H.  Davey,  who  has  kindly  undertaken  to  distribute 
next  year.  It  will  be  necessary  to  print  an  entirely  new 
Desiderata  List  for  next  season,  and,  in  order  to  make  it 
as  complete  as  possible,  it  is  hoped  that  all  members  will 
remember  to  send  in  a  copy  of  the  L.C.,  marked  up-to-date 
with  the  plants  they  want. 
We  deeply  regret  to  record  the  death,  on  the  5th 
of  this  month,  of  our  Treasurer,  Mr.  A.  Somerville. 
The  following  has  been  written  by  Mr.  Arthur  Bennett, 
who  was  probably  his  oldest  and  most  frequent  botanical 
correspondent: — “You  have  asked  me  to  say  a  few  words 
about  the  late  Mr.  A.  Somerville.  I  gladly  do  so,  for 
although  we  never  met  yet  the  many  years  we  have 
corresponded  have  gradually  led  to  a  nearer  and  more 
personal  feeling  than  a  botanical  correspondence  would 
ordinarily  induce.  Born  in  1842,  he  was  the  eldest  son  of 
one  honoured  in  Scotland,  Dr.  A.  N.  Somerville,  for  fifty- 
two  years  Minister  of  Free  Anderston  Church  in  Glasgow 
and  Evangelist  in  many  parts  of  the  world."  After 
being  educated  at  Glasgow  Academy  he  chose  a  business 
career,  and  in  1865  went  out  to  Calcutta  as  a  merchant. 
But  fifteen  years  of  Indian  climate  resulted  in  his  health 
failing,  and,  returning  to  Scotland,  he  attended  the 
University  classes  and  graduated  B.Sc.  in  1884.  Marine 
Mollusca  at  first  attracted  him  and  he  devoted  his 
energies  to  dredging,  taking  a  deep  interest  in  and 
obtaining  funds  and  gifts  for  the  Marine  Station  at 
Millport,  and  also  acting  as  President  of  the  Natural 
History  Society  of  Glasgow  and  of  the  Conchological 
*  His  life  was  written  by  Dr.  George  Smith,  under  the  title  of  “A 
Modern  Apostle,  A.  N.  Somerville,  1813 — 1889  ”  (London,  1890),  and 
it  is  interesting  to  read  in  it  (p.  274,  etc.)  how  the  father  early  instilled 
into  the  minds  of  his  children  a  love  for  natural  history. — G.G. 
