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years he hag taken an active part in promoting and supporting move- ments for the preservation and extension of open spaces chiefly in the metropolis. It was mainly owing to his efforts that the en- largement of Victoria Park, secured by the Victoria Park Act of 1872, was effected. He has also laboured assiduously in furtherance of the movement for the preservation of Epping Forest — now preserved for the enjoyment of the public by the Epping Forest Act of 1878. It was upon Mr. Heath's suggestion, made in June, 1879, that the Corporation of London acquired, for the enjoy- ment of the public in perpetuity, the picturesque fragment of forest called Bumham Beeches. In the following year an attempt, made by the Great Eastern Bailway Com- pany, to encroach upon and disfigure Ejipin^ Forest by the construdion of a hue across a section of that magnificent open space, was defeated by the (^position led by Mr. Heath. When, in 1872, the "strike" of agricultural labourers took place in Warwickshire, Mr. Heath imder- took a tour of inquiry amongst the peasant population of the West of England ; the result being the pro- duction of his first book, "The ' Romance * of Peasant Life," giving a distressing account of the condition of the agricultural la- bourers of the western counties. The work excited a considerable degree of public attention, and led, shortly after its publication, to a marked improvement in the condition of the labouring popula- tion of the West of England. It rapidly passed into a second edition, and was followed in 1874 by " The English Peasantry." In 1875, Mr. Heath, with the object of promoting the importation into the drearier parts of dismal town centres of some of the "green life" of the country, published " The Fern Paradise: a plea for the Culture of Ferns." A larger volume, " The Fern World," appeared in August,
1877, and reached a fourth edition before the end of that year. This was followed in 1878 by an illus- trated edition of " The Fern Para- dise," and by "Our Woodland Trees." In 1879 Mr. Heath pub- lished a little volume called " Bum- ham Beeches," and a new edition of Gilpin's " Forest Scenery." In 1880 he produced a volume under the title of " Sylvan Spring." In the same year appeared " Peasant Life in the West of England.' " My Garden Wild " was produced in 1881, and was followed by "Where to find Ferns" and "Autumnal Leaves." Mr. Heath accepted the editorship of the Journal of Forestry in June, 1882.
HUBERT, Antoinb Augustb Ebnest, artist, born at Grenoble, Nov. 3, 1817, went to Paris in 1835, and studied in the studio of David d' Angers. In 1839 he exhi- bited at the Louvre his " Tasso in Prison," which was bought by the Government for the Mu86e of Gre- noble. Aided by the advice and kindness of M. Paul Delaroche, he competed, in 1839, at the ficole des Beaux-Arts, and shortly after gained the great prize of Rome, the subject of ms picture being " The Cup found in the Sack of Benja- min." He remained in Italy eight years, and sent various paintings and sketches to Paris. After hia return, M. H6bert exhibited, amongst other works: — "Reverie Orientale ;" "Paysannede Guerande battant du Beurr6;" "La Mai' Aria;" and gained a high reputation as a colorist, and for the originality of his designs. After another journey to Italy, and a visit to Dresden, M. Hubert produced "La Cre- scenza ; " " Les Fienaroles ; " " Les Filles d'Alvito; " "Les Fiena- roles de San Angelo," exhibited at the Salon in 1857 ; " Rosa Nera ii la Fontaine;" "La Jeune Fille au PuitS ; " " Pasqua Maria ; " " Perle Noire, le Banc de Pierre," in 18G5 ; a portrait of " David d'Angers," in 1867 J "La Pastorella," and "La
