THE LATE SIR GEORGE DARWIN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1039, 14 December 1912, Page 3

THE LATE SIR GEORGE DARWIN.

In out last issue we chronicled the death of George Darwin, second son of Sir Charles Darwin, the late famous naturalist. We have before us, perhaps one of the last letters written by the late eminent scholar to any overseas correspondent. It is an autograph letter to our esteemed fellowtowusmeu, E. W. Franklaud Esq., and is dated September loth, 1912. By the way, the Darwin family furnish exceptionally interesting material for a study in heredity. Erasmus Darwin (1731-1S02), great-grandfather of Sir George, was a well-known Ivuglish man of science and poet. Robert Waring Darwin (1766-1849), his third sou by his first marriage, a doctor at Shrewsbury, was the father of the famous Charles Darwin ; and Violetta, bis eldest daughter by his second marriage, was the mother of the late Sir Francis Galtou, the founder of the present eugenic movement, and a leading authority on heredity. The late Sir George Darwin was born in 1845, and has been Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy at Cambridge since 1883. He had a distinguished university career, and was Senior Wrangler and Smith’s Prizeman at Cambridge in 1868, in which year he was elected a Fellow of Trinity College. In 1905 he was elected president of the British Association, having previously been president of the Royal Astronomical Society. Sir George also contributed extensively to the scientific reviews on mathematical subjects. Of the family of two daughters and five sous left by Charles Darwin, four of the sons have become promineut in the scientific world : Sir George ; Francis (born 1848), the distinguished botanist; Leonard (boru 1850}, a major in the Royal Engineers, and alterwards well-known as an economist ; and Horace (born 1851), civil engineer. Two of the sons, Sir George and Major Leonard, have been president ot the British Association in different years.