Mr. Barwick has two ex libris of Thomas
James Tatham, Esq., a gentleman of Bedford Place, Russell Square, London, and a third which has belonged to some near kindred. It agrees with that which has merely the crest, but has engraved underneath: “T. D. F. Tatham.” His chief plate has dexter, argent a chevron gules between three swan’s necks, coupled sable. Sinister are presumably his wife’s arms. Crest on a trumpet or, a swan’s wings displayed sable.
Mr. Carruthers has, with great kindness, contributed the following in reference to his interesting bookplate:—
“The notion of the plate was to introduce two plants named by botanists after me. Many genera of plants have received their names in this way.
“The outside plant was called Carruthersia scandius Seem. by Dr. Seemann in his Flora Vitiensis, London, 1865-73. I described the ferns in this work (pp. 331-378), and otherwise had given assistance. The plant is described on pp. 155, 156, and figured on Table XXX. Appended to the description of the genus is this note: ‘I have named this new genus in honour of my esteemed friend William Carruthers, Esq., F.Z.S., of the Botanical Department, British Museum, to whom I am indebted for much kind assistance in working up the South Sea flora.’
“The inner flower was named by Otto Kunze Carruthia Capensis, O.K. It was originally called Aitonia Capensis by Linnæus the younger, but a different plant had been previously named Aitonia. Botanists do not allow the same name to be applied to different plants that are widely separated. O. Kunze wished to associate the plant with my name, and, following an example set by Linnæus, he cut off the last syllable and formed a generic name which could not be confounded with Seemann’s generic name. This arose from a curious accident. O. Kunze called on me at the Natural History Museum, and asked me to let him see the specimens of Aitonia. I inquired which Aitonia, and, showing him a seal I was wearing which belonged to Aiton, who had engraved on it the Cape plant named after him, I asked if that was the plant. He exclaimed ‘How strange! that is the plant.’ I showed him the specimen that the younger Linnæus had named, which was in the Herbarium. When Kunze published the results of his work on these plants he gave it the name Carruthia Capensis. The seal was oval, and the drawing in the