The Annals 



of 



Scottish Natural History 



NO. 64] 1907 [OCTOBER 



THE LATE ALEXANDER SOMERVILLE, B.Sc. 



WITH PORTRAIT. 



ALEXANDER SOMERVILLE was born in Glasgow in 1842, his 

 father being the well-known and revered missionary Dr. 

 A. N. Somerville, who was for many years minister of the 

 Anderston Free Church in Glasgow, previous to his missionary 

 services. Mr. A. Somerville was educated in Glasgow, first at 

 the Academy and then for three years at the University. 

 Entering on business, he went to Calcutta, where he spent 

 fifteen years. Owing to ill-health he returned to Scotland, 

 and resumed tastes and pursuits that had been interrupted by 

 want of leisure during the intervening years. Returning to 

 the University of Glasgow, he entered on the curriculum in 

 Science and graduated B.Sc. As a boy he had been in- 

 terested in entomology ; and natural history on all its sides 

 attracted him greatly, his studies being chiefly directed for 

 several years to the Mollusca, and afterwards to the vascular 

 plants of the British Islands. In both fields his efforts were 

 unwearied and successful, and the results were most freely 

 placed at the service of others. Numerous communications 

 were made by him to scientific periodicals, especially to the 

 publications of the Glasgow Natural History Society, of 

 which he was a strong supporter, being its President for 

 some years. An enthusiast himself, his zeal communicated 

 64 B 



