Jahrgang 
2 (1799)
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o, 148 OBITUARY.(Sele Died, at GoTTINGEN, Mr. LICHTENBERG, profeſſor of experimental phi- loſophy in the univerſity of ithat place, and author of many excellent works, He was born in the year 1744, at Oberamfſtadt in Heſſe-Darmſtadt. He con- ceived an early predîleÆtion for the ſtudies of mathematics and natural philo(o- phy. After 2 proper courſ of previous educatinn, he came, in the yéar 1764, to purſue the Knowledge of the higher branches of ſcience, at Gottingen. While he was a ſtudent in that univerhity, he gave private leſſons in geography and claſſical literature, to his fellow-ſudents. His condu&t gave entire fſatis= faction to his ſuperiors; and he acquired, even then, the intimate friendſhip of profeſſors Kaſtner and Meiſter. In the year 1767, he had the honour of affiſt- ing the famous Erxlebén, in making ſome important aſtronomical obſerya- tions. He obtained in 1770, an appointment, as Profeiſor-extraordinary, at Gieſſen. He twice viſited England, in the years 1770 and 177453 and had here the honour of’ acceſs to the king's private obfervatory. Upon the death of Erxleben, in the year 1777, LICHTENBERG ſucceeded him, as profeſſor of ex- perimental philoſophy, at Gottingen. He communicated a number of excel- lent papers to the Royal Society of Gottingen, of which be was a member. He was the author of many eſſays diſtinguiſhed for elegance, wit and humour, which appeared, from time to time, in the Magazine of S-ience and Literature, publiſhed at Gottingen. Others of his lighter publications came out în an Almanac, of which he was the editor. His Eſſays on the fries of HoGARTH's Primts, were very much admired throughout all Germany. His death happened on the 24th day of February laſt. An elogium upon his life and chara&er, was, on the zoth of April, read before the Royal Society of Gottingen, by his ſur- viving friend, profeſſor KASTNER. N

Mr.WiLLIAamM CURTIS, the late eminent botaniſt, was born in the year 1746, at Alton, in Hampſhire. From the age of 8 to that of 14 years, he was edu- cated at the ſchool of Mr. PYindiz near that town. At the age of 14, he became an apprentice to his grandfather, an apothecary in Alton. During his apprenticeſhip, he was excited to the paſſionate ſtudy of botany, by the re- markable example of an old hoſtler at. a neighbouring‘inn,, Berkenhout?s Botanical Lexicon, firſt, made him acquainted with the Linnæan theory. At the end of his apprenticeſhip, he came to London; where,—after living, as an aſliſtant, with different medical men, and attending che Le&ures of Mr. Elſe and Dr. Geo. Fordyce, at St.‘Thomas’s Hoſpital he, at laſt, ſettled, as an apothecary, in Gracechurch-ſtreet. Fn the years 1771 and 1772, he publiſhed two compoſitions upon Entomology. He was, fora time Demozſtrator of Botany to the Society of Apothecaries. He at length relinquiſhed the buſineſs of an apothecary, and ſettled in the management of an extenſive Botanic Garden, at Brompton. His ambition to diſtinguiſh himſelf as an improver of the ſcience of Botany, induced him to undertake the publication of his Flora Londinenfis, which was but moderately ſucceſsful. His Botzzical Magazine, commenced in the year 1787, and continued to his death, proved very popular and profitable. He was the familiar friend of almoſt all the eminent Engliſh naturaliſts of the age.

DR. MURRAY, late Provoſt of Trinity-College, Dublin, had lived, from his early years a College life. He had been, for more than’ half a century, a Fellow of the Univerhity ot Dublin. His life was paſſed, for the greater part, in the diſcharge of official duty, or in the purſuits of recluſe ſtudy. He was, for many years, Mathematical Leéturer; and taught this ſcience with eminent clearneſs, preciſion, and felicity of explication. An Epitomé of Logic compiled by bim, is now uſed, as the firſt elementary book, in teaching the Art of Reaſoning in the Uhiverfity of Dublin. Tet is fuch an introdu&@ory treatiſe, as none buta perfect maſter of the Art could compoſe. His elevation from the con- dition of Sezior- Fellow to the Provoftſhip, was the a& of Earl FITZWILLIAM?s adminiſtration, and was accounted highly honourable to it. His death on the 2oth of June laſt, at the age of 73, was deeply regretted by the members of the ſeminary to which he be]onged. His library is one of the beſt colle&ions of books in Ireland, His ſuccefior in the Provoliry, is Dr, KEARNEY,