Page:Journal and proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales (IA Journalproceedi421908roya).djvu/98

 64 sent botanical collectors to various parts of the world (including Australia), and received their seeds and collections of plants for Kew, and their dried plants for his own herbarium, which, with his library, was the most celebrated botanical institution of its time. His botanist-librarians were successively Solander, Dryander, and Robert Brown (who survived him). He was the patron of the Bauers and other botanical artists. His herbarium is in the British Museum. He ever identified himself with Australian interests, and all that I know of his botanical activities will be found in my "Life of Sir Joseph Banks, the Father of Australia," now in the press.

Bennett, John Joseph (1801 - 1876). Born at Tottenham, 8th January, 1801. M.R.C.S., F.R.S., Fellow and Secretary from 1840-1860, of the Linnean Society. Appointed in 1827 to the Botanical Department of the British Museum, where he was keeper from 1857 to 1870. Author of Plantæ Javanicæ rariores, 1838-52. Died at Maresfield, Sussex, 29th February, 1876. The genus Bennettia and the fossil Bennettites are named in his honour. At Kew there is a plaster cast from a bust modelled in 1871, by H. Weekes, R.A. (Clean shaven face turned slightly to the left, neck bare) (8). See also Proc. Linn. Soc. (1875-80) 4; Journ. Bot. 1876, 97-104, which is an admirable account of him, with a portrait. He was assistant to Robert Brown and legatee of his herbarium. He described a few Australian plants. Had charge of the old Australian collections at the British Museum and authorised the distribution of the duplicates to various herbaria which took place soon after his death in 1876.

Bentham, George (1800—84). Born at Stoke, Plymouth, England, 22nd September, 1800, died in London, 10th September, 1884. As to Bentham's share in the "Flora Australiensis," a work which has laid Australian botanists