The Scottish Naturalist. 161 



which he had always a strong leaning, a preference that had been 

 much strengthened during his attendance as a student in Prof. 

 Graham's class in the University. In 1836, along with some of 

 his friends, he founded the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, and 

 throughout his life he continued to retain a very warm interest in 

 its prosperity. 



In 1840, he commenced to give lectures on Botany in Edin- 

 burgh, and attracted large classes. In 1842, on the appointment 

 of Sir William Hooker to the directorship of the Botanic Gardens 

 at Kew, Dr. Balfour was appointed to the Professorship of Botany 

 in the University of Glasgow, from which post he was promoted 

 in 1846 to the Chair of Botany in the University of Edinburgh. 

 In 1879, his failing health made it necessary for him to resign the 

 professorship so long held by him. For the greater part of the 

 time that he was in Edinburgh as Professor of Botany, he also held 

 the appointments of Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden 

 and Queen's Botanist in Scotland, and these appointments he 

 continued to hold for some time after he resigned the chair. For 

 many years he was Dean of the Medical Faculty in the University, 

 and thus had much to do with " University politics," until his 

 resignation in 1879. 



Dr. Balfour for a long time also held the post of Secretary of 

 the Royal Society of Edinburgh, for the work of which he was 

 peculiarly suited by his methodical habits, and his ability as an 

 organiser. 



As a botanist he wrote much, but has left no large record of 

 original work, his labour being spent in great part on numerous 

 text-books and manuals, which for years were issued by him in a 

 rapid succession of new editions. They did good work in diffusing 

 a knowledge of botany in their own time, though the rapid 

 advance of the science in late years has left them, as it must leave 

 all text-books, behind the present standpoint, so that probably 

 they have fallen greatly out of the knowledge of the students of 

 the present day. He was also a copious contributor to encyclo- 

 paedias, and wrote numerous short articles for scientific magazines. 

 The only department that we recall at present, apart from text- 

 books, in which he published separate works, was on the relations 

 that exist between Botany a?id Religion and on the Plants of the 

 Bible. He was also for a considerable time one of the editors of 

 the Edinburgh Neiu Philosophical Journal^ and of the Annals of 

 Natural History. 



His reputation as a botanist rests, however, mainly on his work 

 as a teacher, and it is probable that few teachers of the science 

 of botany have had as many pupils attending their classes. In 

 this character he was most painstaking, alike in his systematic 

 course, in the laboratory, and in the excursions, which latter were 

 renowned among the methods of instruction followed by him. To 

 few, if to any, was the flora of Scotland better known ; and there 



