BRITTON, NATHANIEL LORD American botanist, was born at New Dorp, Staten Island, New York, on Jan. 15, 1859. He graduated in 1879 at Columbia university from which in 1881 he received the degree of doctor of phil osophy. After serving as instructor in geology in 1879-87 and as instructor and adjunct professor of botany in 1886-91, he was made professor of botany in Columbia university. He occupied this chair until 1896 when he became director-in-chief of the New York Botanical Garden, created as the result of his efforts and which under his guidance became one of the leading institu tions for the advancement of botanical science. He early became a keen student of plants and rose to front rank among American systematic botanists, specializing in the North American flora, notably in the Crassulaceae, Cactaceae and Cyperaceae, and in the flora of the West Indies, Bolivia and Paraguay. Besides writ ing numerous botanical papers and editing the Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, 1888-97, he was the author of important botanical works among which are : Illustrated Flora of the North ern United States and Canada, with Addison Brown (1896-98, 2nd ed., 1913) ; Flora of Bermuda (1918) ; The Bahama Flora, with C. F. Millspaugh (1920) ; Monograph of the Cactus Family, with J. N. Rose (1919-2o), and various portions of the monu mental North American Flora.