194 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



itself to others ; and he was never happier than when able 

 to assist a fellow-worker. 



He diligently explored the western shores of Scotland 

 for Mollusca, dredging the seas and lochs, and keeping most 

 careful records of the results in manuscripts now in the 

 possession of his nephew, the Rev. G. A. Frank Knight. 

 They give the localities explored, the depths in fathoms, the 

 numbers of the species and varieties in each haul of the dredge, 

 distinguishing the dead from the living specimens. They show 

 that in this thorough way he had investigated the whole of 

 the Clyde area and almost the whole West Coast up to the 

 Butt of Lewis and Loch Broom. These records have 

 remained unpublished ; but Mr. Knight is engaged in pre- 

 paring reports on them which will make available to 

 conchologists the stores of information amassed by Mr. 

 Somerville. His knowledge of critical species was such that 

 he was one of three referees appointed by the Conchological 

 Society of Great Britain and Ireland for Marine Mollusca. 

 He was for a number of years on the Council of the Society, 

 and for three years was its President. In 1886 he issued a 

 List of the British Brachiopoda and Marine Mollusca, which 

 was recognised as the standard until the appearance in 1 900 

 of the Conchological Society's official list. 



For many years he was a strong supporter of the 

 marine station at Millport, and did much to obtain means for 

 its equipment and to extend its usefulness. The topo- 

 graphical distribution of Scottish plants was of great and 

 continued interest to him, and was investigated with care like 

 that bestowed on the Mollusca. Though chiefly carried on 

 in the West of Scotland, his researches extended to other 

 regions also, e.g. to Orkney, where he spent some weeks 

 a few years ago investigating the flora. Ever ready to 

 spend time and labour in assisting others, he went to 

 districts, such as Linlithgow, about which information was 

 desirable, and communicated the results of his visits most 

 freely, as is often evidenced by the pages of this and of 

 other scientific journals. He contributed articles to the 

 " Journal of the Conchological Society," the " Transactions of 

 the Glasgow Natural History Society," and other scientific 

 papers ; but his scientific services are not less evident in 



