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OBITUARY NOTICES.
Society of Arts in 1897 awarded him the Albert Medal "for services he
rendered to the United Kingdom by affording to engineers engaged in the
water supply and the sewage of towns a trustworthy basis for their work by
establishing and carrying ou during nearly 40 years systematic observations
(now at over 3,000 stations) of the rainfall of the British Isles, and by record-
ing, tabulating, and graphically indicating the results of these observations in
the annual volumes published by himself." In 1891 he was made a Chevalier
of the Legion of Honour.
His energy in the pursuit of physical truths and his capacity for
organizing and retaining the services of his helpers, as well as of stimulating
the interest of beginners in his favourite studies, were combined with great
kindliness of disposition and unaffected reticence. By none will he be more
regretted than by the rank and file of his small army of 3,000 observers.
Mr. Symons married in 1866 Miss Elizabeth Luke, who helped him very
considerably in his clerical work. The only child of the marriage died in
infancy, and Mrs. Symons died in 1884.
His death took place on Saturday afternoon, March 10th, 1900, at his
house in Camden Square, after an illness of little over three weeks. Although
suffering somewhat from overwork he appeared to be in a fair state of health
until February 14th, when he was seized with paralysis, from which he never
rallied. He was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery on March 16th, after a
Memorial Service had taken place at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, at
which a large number of friends, and many eminent representatives of science
were present, including Lord Lister, the President of the Royal Society.
A Committee was formed in June, 1900, to establish a memorial to Mr.
Symons, in the form of a Gold Medal to be awarded from time to time by the
Council of the Royal Meteorological Society for distinguished work in con-
nection with meteorological science. We understand that this object has
been attained and a sum of about £750 collected.
THE LATE MR TOM HAY WILSON.
Readers of the Essex Naturalist will regret to hear of the death of
Mr. T. Hay Wilson, in his 60th year, on May 10th, 1900, at Bushey Herts.
A native of Newcastle-on-Tyne, and long a resident there, he settled in
the London district more than twenty years ago. He was for many years
connected with, and latterly a member of, the firm of Crossley Bros., the
manufacturers of the Otto gas engine. He became a member of the
Geologists' Association in 1881, and contributed to Proc. Geol. Assoc, vol,
xi., p. 194 (1889), a short paper entitled "Notes on the artificial unmaking of
Flints." In this paper he gives his experience of "the behaviour of Flint
Shingle when exposed to the action of hot gases, and the following destructive
agents: percussion, attrition, heat, with pressure, moisture, and acid." The
gases are those discharged from the cylinder of a gas engine. They are
driven through a chamber filled with shingle; the gases entering at the
bottom of the chamber and escaping quietly through a ventilating pipe at the