Aug. x, 1894.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
7'J 
and Lichens, making tlieni up into numbered 
sets in the same manner as the flowering plants. 
Dr. Thwaites did not, however, himself publish 
the result of so much labour, but submitted his 
collections, drawings, and notes, to specialists at 
home. The new Mosses were brought out by 
Mitten in 1872, the corticolous Lichens by Rev. 
W. A. Leighton in 1870, and the Fungi by 
Rev. M. J. Berkeley and Mr. Broome in 1870, 
1871, and 1873. These botanists all acknowledge 
the great help they derived in their work from the 
labour already expended on it by Dr. Th waites. Mr. 
Mitten remarks on the new mosses: — "As many of 
the species had already been clearly distinguished 
by Dr. Thwaites it has been arranged that our 
joint names should be attached to them, which 
appears to me a very small tribute to the energy 
witli whiclihehas investigated theFlora of Ceylon." 
I believe, that with the exception of a short note, 
printed in 1877, on Schwendener's then recently 
propounded theory of the nature of Lichens, which 
Dr. Thwaites could not accept, he contributed 
nothing further to botanical literature. 
A sufficient reason, apart from advancing age, 
for this partial cessation in scientific activity ,°is 
to be found in the steadily increasing chan°e in 
the character of his official position. The scienti- 
fic officer was becoming more and more forced 
to address himself to the application of botanical 
knowledge to practical agriculture, Dr. Thwaites 
had never neglected this, witness the foundation 
of Hakgala Cinchona Nurseries in 1860-61, but 
he now threw himself into the new and less 
congenial work with as much enthusiasm as could 
be expected. In his Annual Reports of the Gardens 
there will be found much information on vanilla, 
cinchona, tea, cardamoms, cacao, Liberian coffee 
and other -cultivations, all of which he at different 
times urged upon the attention of planters. 
Though but little heed was paid at the time to 
these recommendations, Dr. Thwaites lived to 
see them all adopted, and these various products 
become of very great interest to the colony. In 
connection with this change, it is natural to 
refer to Coffee-Leaf Disease. It was in 1869 that 
Dr. Thwaites' attention was first called to this, 
and it was from specimens sent by him in that 
year to Mr. Berkeley that Hemilcia vastatrix 
was described. His views as to the character of 
of the disease will be found in his reports from 
1871 to 1874 (which were reprinted in 1879, with 
additional observations) and in a final letter to 
Government so recently as January 1880. Though 
his scientific views underwent considerable change 
during these years, and some expressions in his 
later utterances cannot be scientifically justified, 
he consistently maintained in all his published re- 
marks, in spite of much unpopularity and opposi- 
tion, the inutility of external "cures," and the para- 
mount necessity of enabling the trees to bear the 
disease by liberal cultivation, the use of manure, 
&c, if any sufficient crop was to be matured. 
In Sir W. Gregory, who governed the colony 
from 1872-1877, Dr. Thwaites found a firm friend, 
and one who with characteristic enthusiasm fur- 
thered all his plans for the development of his 
department. An assistant was granted in 1874, 
with the object principally of helping j n the 
work of the herbarium and tiie preparation of " A 
Popular Flora of the Island," and Mr. Hartog, a 
purely scientific botanist, was appointed. The 
growth of new products for lowcountry districts 
was stimulated and greatly assisted by the foun- 
dation in 1876 of the Branch Experimental Garden 
at Heneratgoda. After Mr. Hartog's retirement 
in 1877, Or. Thwaites' wishes were consulted by 
the appointment, in the person of Mr. Morris,] of 
a practical reformer as Assistant Director, to en- 
able him to cope with the increasing work of the 
department. By the representation of the same 
powerful friend the distinction of CMG.was 
bestowed upon Dr. Thwaites in 1878. 
After Mr. Morris's acceptance of a superior 
post in another colony and his departure in Sep- 
tember 1879, Dr. Thwaites remained but a few 
months in charge of the Gardens, resigning his 
appointment in February, 1880, when he retired 
on a well-earned pension. 
Having a great disinclination to leave the colony 
after so long a residence here, he purchased 
the pretty bungalow of Fairieland above Kandy, 
where he quietly passed his time in the cultiva- 
tion of his garden and the reception of his friends. 
His death occurred somewhat suddenly on the 
night of the 11th (September in Kandy, whither 
he had proceeded 01 route for the sea coast for 
.-the restoration of his health which had for a few 
weeks been indifferent. His funeral was attended 
by many Kandy friends including his successor at 
Peradeniya, and nearly all the staff and labourers 
of the Gardens over which he had ruled for so 
many years. 
Thwaites was a naturalist pure and simple ; 
by temperament, by long habit and determina- 
tion. He never attempted any other character 
than the savant, which was his by right, and he 
had a perfectly genuine contempt for the " popu- 
lar scientists" of the day. A keen and accu- 
rate observer, of great industry, quietly enthu- 
siastic and with reasoning capacities of a high 
order, he possessed many of the attributes which 
go to make a philosopher and man of science 
of the first rank. Though he published compara- 
tively little, he was an elegant and fluent writer, 
and his large correspondence with botanists was 
carried on in the most admirable manner. Per- 
haps amongst Eastern botanists, many of whom 
were accustomed to consult him in difficult cases, 
it is as a letter-writer that he will be best remem- 
bered. Ever ready to help where he knew that 
help would be well and properly bestowed and 
appreciated, he spared no time and trouble in the 
investigation of points referred to him ; he was 
also most liberal in the distribution of his speci- 
mens and his stores of information in quarters 
he deemed suitable. Nor was it only m bota- 
nical science that he was so helpful to others j 
he was an ardent entomologist, and collected 
most extensively, paying special attention to the 
habits and life of insects. His notes on the 
families of butterflies in Moore's " Lepidoptera 
of Ceylon " are the best part of the text of 
that disappointing volume. He early adopted 
the views of Charles Darwin and announced 
his adhesion to them in the preface to his " E1111- 
meratio " (1864), and, though he never re-visited 
Europe, kept, till the last three or four years, 
well on a level with scientific progress. In form- 
ing a correct judgment of Thwaites, it must be 
remembered that he suffered all his life under 
the enormous drawback of a delicate and ex- 
citable organization and constantly feeble health ; 
and continually found it necessary to spare 
himself fatigue and worry. He was forced 
to live by rule ; his habits' were extremely sim- 
ple and his diet very frugal and monotonous. 
This tropical climate suited him well, and doubt- 
less prolonged his life; but that he accomplished 
so mud. as he did shows with what zeal he de- 
voted himself to his work. He leaves behind a 
worthy reputation as a diligent and conscientious 
servant of the btate ami a very successful stu- 
dent of Nature. 
7th October 1882. * 11 r 
