OBITUARY. 
581 
grasped  the  great  ideas  of  growth  and  development,  which  are  now  the 
beacon  lights  of  all  research  in  biological  science,  whether  in  the  plant  or 
animal  world. 
But  whilst  his  influence  was  thus  great,  his  works  are  not  calculated  to 
attract  popular  attention.  They  are  contained  in  the  Transactions  of  our 
learned  societies,  in  the  scientific  appendices  of  quarto  volumes  of  voyages 
and  travels,  or  in  Latin  descriptions  of  the  orders,  genera,  and  species 
of  plants.  The  interest  taken  in  these  works  by  his  countrymen  was  never 
sufficient  to  secure  for.them  republication,  although  a  collected  edition  of  his 
works,  in  five  volumes,  is  well  known  in  Germany.  He  was  of  a  diffident 
and  retiring  disposition,  shunning  whatever  partook  of  display,  and  anxious 
to  avoid  public  observation.  Thus  it  is  that  one  of  our  greatest  philosophers 
has  passed  away  without  notice,  and  many  will  have  heard  his  name  for 
the  first  time  with  the  announcement  of  his  decease.  But  for  him  an  un- 
dying reputation  remains,  which  must  increase  as  long  as  the  great  science 
of  life  is  studied  and  understood. — Athenceum, 
In  a  subsequent  number  of  the  Athenceum,  Dr.  George  Wilson,  of  Edin- 
burgh, the  author  of  the  "  Life  of  Cavendish,"  published  by  the  Cavendish 
Society,  says : — 
"  The  great  botanist  whose  life  you  have  sketched  in  your  last  number 
was  so  modest  and  undemonstrative  a  man  that  it  may  be  feared  he  has 
carried  to  the  grave  much  knowledge  on  many  points,  which  all  lovers  of 
science  would  have  preferred  should  not  die  with  him.  On  one  of  these 
points,  interesting  to  a  wide  circle  of  physicists,  documentary  evidence 
may  yet  exist,— and  I  ask  the  favor  of  sufficient  space  in  your  colums  to  di- 
rect the  attention  of  those  in  a  position  to  settle  the  matter,  towards  the 
question  of  such  evidence  existing. 
"  Robert  Brown  took  a  great  interest  in  the  much-disputed  problem — - 
1  Was  Watt  or  Cavendish  the  discoverer  of  the  composition  of  water?  — and 
strongly  favored  the  claims  of  the  latter,  whom  he  had  often  met  in  early 
life.  He  supplied  me  with  information  regarding  Cavendish  for  the  *  Life7 
of  that  philosopher,  written  for  the  Cavendish  Society,  and  expressed — 
though  with  his  customary  caution  and  reserve — an  unhesitating  opinion 
in  favor  of  Cavendish's  originality  and  integrity-  On  one  of  his  latest 
visits  to  Edinburgh,  after  the  publication  of  the *  Life  of  Cavendish/  he  re- 
curred, in  conversation,  to  the  Water  Controversy,  and  startled  me  by 
stating  that  there  existed  a  document  or  documents,  *  which  would  put 
Cavendish's  claims  as  the  discoverer  of  the  composition  of  water  beyond 
dispute/  I  do  not  pretend  to  give  his  exact  words,  but  I  think  I  do  not 
overstate  their  import.  He  would  not  enter  into  any  particulars,  but 
shook  his  head  and  smiled  when  I  pressed  him  for  further  information. 
"  Two  years  ago  I  saw  him  for  the  last  time  in  London,  and  after  re- 
minding him  of  his  former  conversation,  asked  him  if  there  was  no  proba- 
bility of  the  document  or  documents  in  favor  of  Cavendish  being  published. 
I  could  not,  however,  extract  more  from  him  than  the  assurance  that  there 
