MEEHAN, Thomas, botanist, born in Potter's Bar, Middlesex, England, 21 March, 1826. He was educated in public schools in England, and spent two years in botanical studies in Kew. In 1848 he arrived in the United States and settled in Philadelphia, where he became a gardener, and in 1854 established a nursery in Germantown, which he still (1888) maintains. In 1876 he accepted the appointment of botanist to the Pennsylvania board of agriculture without compensation, and he has been annually re-elected since that time. He is also professor of botany to the State herb association and vice-director of the Academy of natural sciences of Philadelphia, of which he became vice-president in 1879. In 1883 he was elected to the city council of Philadelphia, and he has been annually re-elected. His scientific work has included original investigations in botany, which have been published in the proceedings of scientific societies. One of the most important of these was on " The Law which Governs the Production of Sex in Flowers." His papers exceed sixty in number, and the botanical articles in the "Encyclopaedia Americana" were prepared by him. In 1859 he established "The Gardeners" Monthly," which he still issues, and he was a member of the editorial staff of the Philadelphia. " Press" in 1865-'81. In book-form he has published " The American Hand-Book of Ornamental Trees " (Philadelphia, 1853) and "The Flowers and Ferns of the United States" (lst series, Boston, 1878; 2d series, Philadelphia, 1880; 3d series, Boston, 1887).