Downloaded from http://pygs.lyellcollection.org/ at University of St Andrews on May 5, 2015 234 3n ^emorlam. THOMAS HICK, B.A., B.SC. (LOND.), A.L.S. Born May 5th, 1840; Died July 31st, 1896. Only a few months ago we chronicled the decease of a great Yorkshire Pala3obotanist; to-day, alas ! we deplore the death of another distinguished Botanist and Honorary Member of our Society through the death of Thomas Hick, B.A., B.Sc, A.L.S., who finished his course at the residence of his eldest son, Dr. Herbert Hick, at Laisterdyke, on the 31st of July last. In early life our friend lost, through a severe accident, several fingers of his right hand. His indomitable spirit, however, struggled against his adverse surroundings, how successfully only those who have seen him, with deft skill, cutting beautiful sections of plants and stems by hand, can judge. Possibly this accident turned his atten• tion from mechanical to literary and scientific pursuits, and, as often happens in life, what at first appeared an unqualified misfortune turned out a boon. Educated at The Royal Lancaster School, Leeds, Thomas Hick rose from the position of Scholar to the post of Master, and by private and strenuous study graduated in the first division as Bachelor of Arts and Science at the London University. At this time he was much engaged, teaching Mathematics, Botany, and Biology to the Science Students at Mechanics' Institutes at Leeds, Bradford, and elsewhere. In 1876, a Science Master was wanted at Pannal College, Harro• gate. The post was applied for, obtained, and held, with growing respect from the Principal and with the warm affection of the pupils, until 1886, when be was appointed Assistant Lecturer and Demon• strator in Botany at Owens College, Manchester. Like his chief, the late Professor W. C. Williamson, P.R.S., he was a Yorkshireman by birth and a gifted Palaeobotanist, who added lustre to Lancashire, the county of his adoption. At Manchester he spent the next ten years of his life, crowding into that decade much brilliant original research ; working hard almost to the last. Downloaded from http://pygs.lyellcollection.org/ at University of St Andrews on May 5, 2015 Downloaded from http://pygs.lyellcollection.org/ at University of St Andrews on May 5, 2015 IN MEMORIAM : THOMAS HICK, B.A., B.SC. (LOND.), A.L.S. 235 He was an Honorary Member of the Yorkshire Geological and Polytechnic Society, elected thereto in recognition of his careful and accurate researches into the structure of the Carboniferous plants ; he was for some time president of the Leeds Naturalists' Club and Scientific Association ; also for one year President of the Harrogate Literary Society, and on leaving the town the members of this Society showed the high estimation in which he was held by making him a valuable presentation. The Yorkshire Naturalists' Union held him in great respect as a gifted member ; as a member of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society he contributed several excellent papers to its Transactions. An interesting memoir of him appeared in the Owens College Union Magazine for October, 1896, and another one, from the pen of his old friend, Dr. P. Arnold Lees, in the " Naturalist" for March, 1897. In 1894 the Linnean Society showed appreciation of his contributions to Botanical Science by electing him to one of its twenty-five Associateships. To the late Professor Huxley and to Mr. Thistleton Dyer he owed his training in biology ; he was an ardent follower, one may indeed say a devoted disciple, of Huxley, whose character and method of work won his enthusiastic admiration. His knowledge of struc• tural botany was extensive and profound, and he was well versed in current foreign (especially French and German) botanical literature. As a lecturer he was singularly clear, logical, and even fascinating ; his visits to Halifax and Harrogate were always looked forward to with the greatest interest by a wide circle of admirers in these towns, where he commanded large and enthusiastic audiences. One of his last public lectures was given under the auspices of the Halifax Branch of the Sunday Lecture Society, and was exceedingly well received. In Dr. F. Arnold Lees' appreciative memoir, published in the " Naturalist," very pleasing allusion is made to a small private Mutual Improvement Society which met fortnightly in Leeds, where such well known Yorkshire Naturalists as Hick, Davis, Lees, Todd, Abbott, and Watson, discussed science and philosophy together. In Halifax too he was a welcome visitor to a similar Society where the late J. W. Davis, the late Geo. Brook, W. P. Sladen, C, P. Hob- Downloaded from http://pygs.lyellcollection.org/ at University of St Andrews on May 5, 2015 236 IN MEMOBJAM : THOMAS HICK, B.A., BSC. (LOND.), A.L.S. kirk, Jno. Stubbins, W. Towncnd, myself and some others, met for scientific improvement, and where ' as iron sharpeneth iron' we sharpened our wits in the investigation of scientific problems for the love of truth. Hick wrote reviews on scientific books, many of the best appearing in the " Leeds Mercury." He thus brought a wide range of knowledge, a critical faculty, and a sound judgment which was highly esteemed in our little circle. Through the kindness of Messrs. Binns, Spencer, Lomax, and others grand opportunities were afforded him of studying the fossil flora from the Coal-beds of the Hard Bed of Yorkshire, and the upper foot mine of Lancashire. How nobly these opportunities were used the list of able memoirs quoted at the conclusion of this paper bear witness. Dr. F. Arnold Lees writes that " Hick's first original paper was ' On an overlooked point in the Morphology of Picaria vera a.' It showed an unusual gift of exact observation, and foreshadowed the brilliancy of later pnpers in the 'Journal of Botany' on the Continuity of Protoplasm in the tissues of certain Marine Algae. He was too careful and self-critical a worker to produce voluminously." Our friend's scientific work may be said broadly to have been mainly Botanical (with the exception of three joint Palax)botanical papers) from 1878 to 1890. In 1891, he commenced a series of singularly lucid papers on the Structure of the Carboniferous Plants, in which he dealt with " The present state of our knowledge of the Yorkshire Calamity," " Xeno- phyton," " Calamostachys Binneyana," " The Fruits of Calamites," "The Stems of Calamites," " Kaloxylon Hookeri and Lyginodendron Oldhainium," "Leaves of Calamites" (a luminous paper), " Rhachi- opten's cylindrica," &c. If Hick had been more of an egoist, if he had cared to push himself, he would probably have been more widely known, and, in a sense, have been more successful; but he cared most to do good work that would last. He was accurate, thorough, clear, logical in all he wrote and taught. Doubtless, had his life been spared, he would soon have ranked with the foremost Palasobotanists of Europe. His private character was genial, generous, transparent. He was an able controversialist, and it needed a clear-headed man to hold his Downloaded from http://pygs.lyellcollection.org/ at University of St Andrews on May 5, 2015 IN MEMOKIAM : THOMAS HICK, B.A., B.SC. (LOND.), A.L.S. 237 own with him in argument. He always laid great stress on the difference between knowing a thing and knowing about it; he never played pranks with his reason ; lie loved and followed Truth for its own sake. In the summer of 1896, we noticed with anxiety that our friend's health was declining ; the tine intellect worked almost to the last; but a painful disease seized him and quickly, though borne with manly courage and fortitude, vanquished his noble soul. He left to mourn his loss a devoted wife and two sons, as well as a large circle of sorrowing friends. The Owens College Museum is enriched with his choice collec• tion of micro-preparations of Fossil Carboniferous Plants, largely illustrative of his own special researches. This collection was purchased by private subscription, and forms a fitting monument of one who was perhaps the most promising rising Paleeobotanist of his day. WM. CASH. SCIENTIFIC PAPERS, &C, BY THOMAS HICK, B.A., B.Sc, A.L.S. 1878. 1 "The Sexual Reproduction of Fungi," read before the Leeds Naturalists' Club, 17th Sept., 1878. "The Naturalist," Jan. and Feb., 1879. ,, 2 " A Contribution to the Flora of the Lower Coal Measures of the Parish of Halifax, Yorkshire," by Wm. Cash and Thomas Hick. Yorksh. Geol. and Polytech. Soc. Read 28th Oct., 1878. 1879. 3 " On Fossil Fungi from the Lower Coal Measures of Halifax, and Notes on Traquaria," by Wm. Cash and Thomas Hick. Yorksh. Geol. and Polytech. Soc. 1882. 4 " On the Designation of certain functions of Plants." " The Naturalist" March, 1882. „ 5 " On the Caulotaxis of British Geraniums." "Journal of Botany," October, 1882. 1883. 6 " Notes on Ranunculus ficaria, L." " Journal of Botany," July, 1883. 1884. 7 " On Protoplasmic Continuity in the Floridese." " Journal of Botany," Feb., 1884. Downloaded from http://pygs.lyellcollection.org/ at University of St Andrews on May 5, 2015 IN MBMORIAM : THOMAS HICK, B.A., B.SC. (LOND.), A.L.S. 8 " Protoplasmic Continuity in the Fucaceee." " Journal of Botany," April, 1885. 9 " Strasbui'ger's New Investigations on the Process of Fertilisation in Phanerogams." " The Naturalist," Feb., March, April, and July, 1885. 10 " On the Caulotaxis of British Fumariacea3." " Journal of Botany," Sept., 1885. 11 " Protoplasmic Continuity of the Fucacese." "Journal of Botany," Dec, 1885. 12 " Strasburger on Foreign Pollination." " The Naturalist," Dec, 1885. 13 " The Mechanical Tissues of Plants." " Transactions and Annual Report of the Manchester Microscopical Society," 1889.