1 8 INTRODUCTION. 



year a brilliant company were gathered together at the Annual 

 Dinner to do honour to their new young President. Otherwise 

 nothing as yet had been done for him in his own University in the 

 way of recognition of his abilities and services ; and he still re- 

 mained a Lecturer of Trinity College, giving lectures in a Uni- 

 versity building. An effort had been made by some of his friends 

 to urge the University to take some step in this direction ; 

 but it was thought at that time impossible to do anything. 

 In 1 88 1 a great loss fell upon the sister University of Oxford 

 in the death of Prof. George Rolleston ; and soon after very 

 vigorous efforts were made to induce Balfour to become a 

 candidate for the vacant chair. The prospect was in many 

 ways a tempting one, and Balfour seeing no very clear way in 

 the future for him at his own University, was at times inclined 

 to offer himself, but eventually he decided to remain at Cam- 

 bridge. Hardly had this temptation if we may so call it been 

 overcome when a still greater one presented itself. Through 

 the lamented death of Sir Wyville Thomson in the winter of 

 1 88 1 2, the chair of Natural History at Edinburgh, perhaps 

 the richest and most conspicuous biological chair in the 

 United Kingdom, became vacant. The post was in many ways 

 one which Balfour would have liked to hold. The teaching 



> 



duties were it is true laborious, but they had in the past been 

 compressed into a short time, occupying only the summer 

 session and leaving the rest of the year free, and it seemed 

 probable that this arrangement might be continued with him. 

 The large emolument would also have been grateful to him 

 inasmuch as he would have felt able to devote the whole of it 

 to scientific ends ; and the nearness to Whittinghame. his native 

 place and brother's home, added to the attractions ; but what 

 tempted him most was the position which it would have given 

 him, and the opportunities it would have afforded, with the 

 rich marine Fauna of the north-eastern coast close at hand, 

 to develope a large school of Animal Morphology. The existing 

 Professors at Edinburgh were most desirous that he should join 

 them, and made every effort to induce him to come. On the 

 part of the Crown, in whose hands the appointment lay, not 

 only were distinct offers made to him, but he was repeatedly 

 pressed to accept the post. Nor was it until after a considerable 



