MR. FRANK BUCKLAXD. 813 



paratively subordinate official position, and who has left no first-rate 

 work behind him to illustrate the achievements of a singularly ready 

 pen. Yet Mr. Frank Buckland occupied so exceptional a position, and 

 held it so long, that common justice requires that his memory should 

 be preserved ; and a short article on his doings, on his character, and 

 even on the eccentricities which formed part of his character, may be 

 welcome to hundreds of persons who knew and loved the man, and to 

 thousands of other persons who did not know the man but loved his 

 writings. 



Francis Trevelyan Buckland was the eldest son of the Very 

 Reverend "William Buckland, the founder of the modern school of ge- 

 ology, the author of one of the best known of the Bridgewater Trea- 

 tises, and Dean of Westminster. His mother Miss Morland before her 

 marriage threw herself into the geological researches which made 

 her husband famous, and frequently proved a ready assistant to the 

 Dean. His father was probably one of the most popular lecturers ever 

 known at Oxford. With the zeal of an enthusiast, he never confined 

 his teachings to the lecture-room, but frequently organized parties to 

 scour the neighborhood of the university, and explained the geology 

 of the district standing on the very stones on which he was comment- 

 ing. He had the rare art of throwing interest into the most abstruse 

 subjects ; and stories are still told of him, to illustrate his ready wit, 

 which would enliven any article. In 1826, when his eldest son was 

 born, he had already acquired a considerable reputation ; and he chose 

 as sponsors for his boy two men who both filled some position in the 

 world Sir Francis Chantrey, the sculptor, and Sir Walter Trevelyan, 

 the apostle of temperance. The boy owed his two names, Francis 

 Trevelyan, to his two godfathers. But these names are probably un- 

 familiar to the majority of the peoj^le who were afterward acquainted 

 with him ; the future naturalist almost always signed himself, and 

 friends and strangers always spoke of him as, Frank Buckland. 



Dr. Buckland is said to have expected his son's birth with as much 

 impatience as Mr. Shandy awaited the arrival of Tristram. When 

 the nurse told him that the child was a boy, he declared that he 

 should go at once and plant a birch, for he was determined that his 

 son should be well brought up. The declaration proved a prophecy. 

 Young Buckland was educated by his uncle, Dr. Buckland, of Lale- 

 ham, the friend and kinsman of Dr. Arnold, but a most severe and 

 even brutal pedagogue. He was subsequently sent to Winchester, 

 and in due course passed on to Christchurch. At school he certainly 

 received his share of chastisement, and within a year or two of his 

 death he showed some of his friends scars on his hand which he said 

 were his uncle's doing. He was probably a trying pupil to an impa- 

 tient schoolmaster ; yet he contrived to acquire a large share of classi- 

 cal knowledge. He had whole passages of Virgil at his fingers' ends. 

 He used to say, when he could not understand an act of Parliament, 



