Roy; an eminent man of science, a useful public servant, and a valued contributor to the Athenæum. For some time past he has been ill, and has lately been much depressed in spirit. The grief we feel is greatly increased by the circumstance that he died by his own hand. The Meteorological Department of the Board of Trade had been under his direction from its establishment; and his health, no doubt, was seriously affected by the anxiety naturally arising from his unceasing attention to the duties of his office, but more particularly to that almost constant uneasiness experienced on the receipts of the daily weather telegrams, from which he had to deduce the most probable coming weather." He was born July 5th, 1805, and entered the navy at fourteen. He commanded the surveying ship Beagle from 1828 to 1836, engaged all this time in very important surveying operations. He was Governor of New Zealand for three years, being appointed in 1843. "Those who were personally acquainted with him will bear evidence to his untiring industry, his pleasing manners, and the charms of his conversation. He has left behind him a name which will long be remembered with esteem."

Waterton.

Charles Waterton died on the 27th of May, Charles aged eighty-three, at his residence Walton Hall,

Sir Joseph
Paxton.

Yorkshire. The Athenæum of the 3rd of June states that he was "best known to most of our readers as 'the man who rode an alligator to death.' He was a racy writer, and at once became popular when he first appeared before the public as author of 'Wanderings in South America, the North-west of the United States and the Antilles, in the years 1812-1824."" He was the head of an old Roman Catholic family, and was educated at Stonyhurst. "He was, perhaps, the best stuffer of animals, especially birds, in the world, and at Walton Hall he had a fine museum......He was an elegant Latin scholar, and long ago he wrote his epitaph in that language, a translation of which runs thus: 'Pray for the Soul of Charles Waterton, born June, 1782, died 18-, whose wearied bones rest here.'"

Sir Joseph Paxton died on the 8th of June at his residence at Rockhills, next the Crystal Palace. He was born in 1803, and commenced life as a gardener in the Horticultural Society's garden at Chiswick, where he had but a few shillings a week. While there he was noticed by the Duke of Devonshire, who subsequently appointed him his head gardener at Chatsworth. The Athenæum of the 17th of June states that "among the many magnificent works which Paxton constructed at Chatsworth was the great

Palace in

conservatory, a glass and iron structure, 300 feet long, which he made the model of the Crystal The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, his design being accepted Hyde Park. by the Royal Commissioners after 233 plans had been rejected. For his public services on this occasion he was knighted. In 1853 he commenced the building of the Crystal Palace, at Sydenham, which was completed in June, 1854. In the same year Sir Joseph became Member of Parliament for Coventry, he being elected without opposition. Shortly after his entry into the House he submitted a plan for employing a corps of navvies at the siege of Sebastopol, which was accepted by Government and proved practical......His friend and patron the Duke of Devonshire had preceded him a few years, and shortly before his death handed him a life. policy for 20,000l."

Sir John
William

Sir John William Lubbock died on the 21st of June. He "closed his career at Cambridge Lubbock. in January, 1825, obtaining only the degree of first Senior Optime. This," the Athenæum states on July 1st, 1865, "at the time surprised those who knew that he was one of the strongest mathematicians of the year. The truth was that he turned his particular attention to the branches of astronomy in which he was afterwards distinguished, and, having no reason to seek University honours for aid in

his future life, he was content to take what he could get on his own terms as to study. Throughout his life he applied himself to the lunar theory and subjects connected with it. Out of the higher departments of astronomy he was known by the excellent work on ProHis work on bability which he contributed to the 'Library "Probability.' of Useful Knowledge,' in conjunction with his friend Drinkwater (afterwards DrinkwaterBethune). This work was anonymous: a binder chose to letter it as 'De Morgan on Probability,' and Mr. De Morgan, in a letter to the Times, reports that he could not in fifteen years, though using every opportunity, succeed in restoring the book to its true authors...... He has left behind him a son who is well known to the scientific world, and will add new honour to the name."

Isaac Taylor.

On the 8th of July the death of Isaac Taylor, "writer and inventor," is noted. He was in his seventy-eighth year. He began his literary career with Elements of Thought,' followed by a 'History of Another Life.' "Mr. Taylor's mind presented a rare union of artistic, mechanical, and literary genius. The originality and power exhibited in some of his early designs, engraved for Boydell's Bible, have been noticed in Gilchrist's 'Life of Blake.' One of the most complicated and beautiful pieces of mechanism

now at work in Manchester is Mr. Taylor's machine for engraving patterns on rollers for calico-printing. The plates which illustrate Trail's Josephus were engraved by this process.' Dr. Samuel P. Woodward's death on the 11th of July is recorded on the 22nd. He was born on the 17th of September, 1821, and was the son of S. W. Woodward, of Norwich, author of several geological works. In 1838 he was employed in the library of the British Museum, and in 1839 became curator of the Geological Society of London. In 1845 he was appointed Professor of Botany and Geology in the Royal Agricultural College, and in 1848 first-class assistant in the Department of Geology and Mineralogy in the British Museum. He published only one separate work, ‘A Manual of Recent and Fossil Shells,' " acknowledged to be one of the best text-books in that department of science." The small geological map of England published by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge was prepared by him, and "Prof. Owen derived considerable assistance from him when he prepared the invertebrate part of his 'Palæontology,' which that author gratefully acknowledged...... His true love for science never shone more brightly than in his dealings with younger men. He was ever ready to hold out a helping hand

Dr. S. P.

Woodward.