SIGNAL HONOUR

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 50, 27 January 1938, Page 13

SIGNAL HONOUR

DIRECTOR OF IMUSEUM. TRIBUTE BY SWEDEN. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Jan. 26. Dr W. R. B. Oliver, director of the Dominion Aluseum, has been notified by the Swedish Pliyto-geographical Society that he has been elected a corresponding member. It is believed that it is the first time this high honour has been awarded to a New Zealander. Tlie society is primarily concerned with the study of botany from the geographical standpoint, the range and distribution of various species, and so 911. One of the leading scientific bodies in the world, it has its headquarters at Uppsala, Sweden. Its president is Dr W. E. du Reitz, a very eminent botanist who visited New Zealand in 1927 and made a six-months study of the Dominion’s indigenous flora. It is understood that the particular work which prompted the society to elect Dr Oliver to its membership was his book on “The Genus Coprosma,” an erudite study of that important plant family published recently by the Bishop Aluseum. Honolulu. Botany is one of Dr Oliver’s special subjects of research. The director of the museum was mildly surprised wdien he received notification of the society’s decision to elect him to its membership, for he was first apprised of it when he received through the post a large certificate printed wdiolly in Latin. As the language of ancient Rome is no longer the current tongue of science, and a translation of the document was rendered slightly difficult by the Latinisation of the various Swedish words, it was not easy to ascertain at first glance the precise nature of the honour that had been paid him. The certificate stated that the award was in recognition of researches of the highest merit.

LINNEAN SOCIETY.

FELLOWSHIP FOR BOTANIST

Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Jan. 26. The honour of a fellowship of the Linnean Society, London, has been conferred on Aliss Lucy Cranwell, botanist at the Auckland AVar Alemorial Aluseum. Aliss Cranwell was elected at the November meeting of the society, among those nominating her being Sir Arthur Hill, director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kow, and Air J. Ramsbottom, president of the Linnean Society, which is the chief botanical and zoological association in the AngloSaxon world.

The fellowship is conferred on Aliss Cranwell in recognition of botanical research work done both in New Zealand and Sweden and because of the efforts she has made to stimulate interest in botany through her position at the museum.