cularly the late Duchess Dowager of Portland, and the late Henry Seymer*, Esq. were in constant habits The following anecdotes of Mr. Seymer were communicated by A. B. Lambert, esq. Vice-President of the Linnean Society of London, &c. &c. "Having some time ago presented to the Linnean Society a portrait of the late Henry Seymer, esq. who, dying soon after its formation, was known to few of its members; it has been suggested to me, that some account of him might not be altogether uninteresting to them. His residence was Hanford House, Dorsetshire, which has been the family seat for many generations, his family being a branch of that of the Duke of Somerset. From his early years Mr. Seymer had cultivated the study of natural history, but the parts he most excelled in were entomology, conchology, and mineralogy, particularly the investigation of extraneous fossils. His cabinets of shells were very rich, as he never lost any opportunity of procuring the finest that came to market; and although he resided at so great a distance from the metropolis, he had always agents in town on the look-out to secure any collections that might be brought to this country by voyagers; and he procured many rare species in consequence of the celebrated voyage of the im mortal Cook. Martin, in his splendid work on Shells, speaks highly of Mr. Seymer's collection. He maintained a very extensive correspondence with the naturalists of his time, Edwards, Dr. Fothergill, Pennant, Forster, Drury, and Francillon. That eminent naturalist, Dr. Pulteney of Blandford, residing at no more than five miles distance from him, they spent much of their time together; and the Doctor has frequently declared that some of the happiest hours of his life were passed in Mr. Seymer's society. The celebrated Dutchess of Portland frequently presented him with rare specimens of shells from her noble cabinet; and for the last twelve years of her life never omitted spending some time at Hanford on her way to Waymouth, where her grace had a friend always residing to coliect for her. Both Mr. Seymer and his son Henry often occupied themselves in drawing subjects of natural history, in which they were excelled by few; and many of their highly-finished drawings of birds, shells, and insects, are now distributed among different branches of the family. Dr. Solander had so great a respect for Mr. Seymer, that he was desirous of naming that fine plant after him, since named by professor Swartz Solandra grandiflora. Mr. Francis Masson related this circumstance to me, and gave me the specimen out of his Herbarium, marked Seymera, in Dr. Solander's hand-writing. Although Botany was not so much Mr. Seymer's study as the other parts of the system of nature, he collected many curious exotics in his garden, and had some of the finest orange and lemon trees then in the kingdom, planted in the natural ground against the walls, with moveable sash-lights before thein; and which I have often seen loaded with fruit sufficient to supply his table. of communication with him, for the purposes of mutually exchanging and determining species. He had also formed an instructive collection of minerals and extraneous fossils. In October 1801, whilst he had under revisal the description of a Plate of Fossils, found at Melbury, given in the Catalogue annexed to the third Volume of the "History of Dorsetshire," the Doctor was attacked with symptoms of inflammation in the lungs, and expired on the 13th of that month. His remains were interred at the village of Langton; and an elegant tablet, with the simple but appropriate ornament of a Pultenea, has been placed in Blandford Church, on which is the following inscription: table. In his collection of tulips, hyacinths, and auriculas, so much the rage of those days, he also greatly excelled. Nature he lov'd, with her he spent his hours, And stor'd his garden with her fairest flowers. 66 Mr. John Ryall dedicated "Hortus Europa Americanus" to Mr. Seymer, a collection of curious trees and shrubs adapted to the climates and soils of Great Britain, Ireland, and most parts of Europe, with figures by Mark Catesby, a work, "written," the author observes, upon that branch of natural science in which he eminently excels, and on those arts of cultivation which his own rural improvements best illustrate and explain." John Ellis, esq. a gentleman of large property in Jamaica, and a particular friend of Mr. Seymer, at his recommendation, undertook to make as complete a collection of drawings of the natural history of that country as could be procured; and took with him Mr. Robins of Bath, the first natural history draughtsman of his time, at Mr. Seymer's recommendation. This gentleman, after a residence of ten years in Jamaica, and compleating some thousands of drawings of animals, birds, fishes, plants, and insects, freighted a vessel called the British Queen with his collections, to return to Europe, intending to present the whole to the British Museum: but, alas! that memorable storm, fatal to the Ville de Paris and to so many other vessels, consigned at once this magnificent collection and its author to a watery grave. It is also rather remarkable that just before Mr. Ellis sailed, Robins the draughtsman was accidentally drowned crossing the White River in Jamaica. Some duplicates of Mr. Ellis's drawings, sent to England at different times previous to his leaving Jamaica, are now in the possession of his son, John Ellis, esq. F. L. S. of Portland place. May the writer of this pass through life with as few imperfections both as a scholar and as a man! A B. L. "This tablet is erected in memory of Elizabeth Galton, of Shapwick, Dorset.” Dr. Pulteney bequeathed his fortune to Mrs. Pulteney, after the payment of numerous legacies to several of his friends, and to various Philosophical, Medical, and Charitable Institutions. He left bis valuable Hortus Siccus, and collections of other subjects of Natural History*, to the Linnean Society, founded in 1763; and his Botanical MSS. to Dr. Maton, who has since favoured the publick with a new edition of the "View of the Writings of Linnæus," with memoirs of Dr. Pulteney, and an ele gant Portrait. Another Portrait of the Doctor, engraved for the "History of Leicestershire," is here given. The chief part of his Library, consisting principally of books in Natural History, was sold, by Leigh and Sotheby, April 26-May 3, 1802. * The British part of his Testacea may be considered as forming an authentic exemplification of the species described in the Dorsetshire Catalogue. N No V. The Rev. MICHAEL TYSON, B. D.* Michael, the only child of the Rev. Michael Tyson, Dean of Stanford+, by his first wife, the sister of Noah Curtis of Wolsthorp in Lincolnshire, esq. was born in the parish of All Saints in Stamford, Nov. 19, 1740; and, receiving his grammatical education in that country, was admitted of Bene't College in compliment to the then Master, Dr. John Green, Bishop of Lincoln, between whom and his father there was always kept up a friendship and intimacy from the time when they had been Fellows and Contemporaries of St. John's College. His father was a jolly, tall, welllooking man, a great sportsman, and much in the acquaintance and family of Brownlow eighth Earl of Exeter, Peregrine third Duke of Ancaster, and his father-in-law, Thomas Panton, esq. of Newmarket. Mr. Tyson has often told me that he owed much to the friendship and acquaintance of Mr. John Cowper, Fellow of Bene't College, son of Dr. Cowper of Berkhamstead, who gave him a thorough knowledge and insight into the Greek language, of which he was in a manner ignorant when he left school. This worthy and ingenious man was taken off at a very early period; and, being Vicar of Foxton in Cambridgeshire, was buried in that church. Mr. Tyson, out of gratitude to his memory, has etched a drawing of him, which is very like him, and which will be a curiosity, as so few copies were taken from the Plate. *The greater part of this Memoir was communicated by Henry Ellis, esq. of the British Museum, from Mr. Cole's MSS. 5886. + Of St. John's College, Cambridge, B. A. 1732; M. A. 1736. He was a most worthy, pious, and charitable man; and died, in St. Martin's Stamford Baron, Feb. 22, 1794, aged 84. He was at that time Dean of Stanford, Archdeacon of Huntingdon, rector of Gretford, co. Lincoln, and of Whittering, co. Northampton. The Dean married, secondly, Dec. 26, 1766, Mrs. Lucas. § See vol. VI. p. 615; and more hereafter. In this College, Mr. Tyson passed regularly through his Degrees, from B. A. 1764; to M. A. 1767; B. D. 1775; and was elected Fellow of the same, between that of Bachelor and Master. In the autumn of 1766, he attended a young gentleman of his College [Mr. Gough] in a Tour through the North of England and Scotland, and made an exact Journal of his several Stages, with pertinent remarks on such places as most struck him: the MS. he gave to me. At Glasgow and Inverary he had the Freedom of the Corporations bestowed upon him. He was elected F.S. A. 1767; and F.R.S. 1769. On March 11, 1770, he was ordained Deacon, in Whitehall Chapel, by Dr. John Green, Bishop of Lincoln. In 1773, his father being promoted to the Archdeaconry of Huntingdon, on the death of Mr. Jenner, Mr. Tyson gave the Officiality of it to his son, which brought him in about £50. per annum; and, about the same time, being Bursar of the College, he succeeded Mr. Colman in the Cure of St. Benedict's Church in Cambridge, as he did also in 1776 in the Whitehall Preachership, at the request of Dr. Hamilton, son-in-law of Bp. Terrick, who had been formerly of Corpus Christi College. In the same year, 1776, he was presented by the College to the rectory of Lambourne, near Ongar, in Essex but, it being the first time that the College presented to it, the family it came from litigated the legality of the Society's claim; which, after a suit in Chancery, was determined in favour of the College. However, they threatened a second prosecution; to prevent which, Mr. Tyson, tired out with the tediousness of the former, and eager to enjoy his Living, and a most agreeable woman to whom he had been engaged for more than ten years, entered into a composition with the parties; one of the articles of which was, that he was not to take possession of the Parsonage-house till Christmas 1778; and a second, a good round sum of money to pacify the claimants. As this composition was entered into without the knowledge of the Society, and indeed against |