5 
Since the death of Mr. Bennett, Prof. J. W. Carr is the only 
original member of the Watson Club. When it was started in 
December, 1884, he was an undergraduate at Cambridge, and 
Bennett was the only Referee, but Bennett withdrew from 
membership in 1909 ; in 1921 he and Mr. E. F. Linton were 
made honorary members, and the former continued to examine 
specimens, write notes and occasionally send us plants. 
H. S. Thompson, 
May 6th, 1930. Hon. Sec. 
ARTHUR BENNETT (1843—1929). 
Arthur Bennett, sometime a valued referee of the Club, 
and for many years one of the best known and most helpful 
students of British botany, passed away on the 2nd May, 
1929, close on the age of 86. He was born on the 19th of 
June, 1843, at Croydon, Surrey, in which town he was edu- 
cated and resided all his life. From his school-days he had been 
attracted to natural history, first to geology, then to ento- 
mology, but soon settled down to botany, which was thence- 
forward the principal occupation of what leisure he could 
spare from his daily occupation. On leaving school he went 
into his father’s business, that of a builder and decorator, of 
which he ultimately became the proprietor, and in which he 
took an active part practically to the day of his death. 
It was always a wonder to us how he could find time 
to accomplish such an immense volume of botanical 
work in the intervals of a strenuous and exacting business. 
To the Journal of Botany alone his contributions, extending 
from 1876 to 1929, totalled about 200, and we are told that he 
wrote more than 180 notes and articles for other magazines 
and publications. His correspondence with British and 
Foreign botanists was very extensive, and he made it a rule 
never to leave a communication unattended to on the day of 
receipt. Every enquiry, if only from a child, received his 
careful and courteous attention, and it is difficult to over- 
estimate the service he rendered to British botany by encour- 
aging, helping and stimulating others. 
He had a good all-round knowledge of the British Phaner- 
ogams, with the exception perhaps of a few very large critical 
genera, but it was the marshland and water plants which most 
attracted him. His most important work was in connexion 
