IN MEMORIAM — DAVID ROBERTSON. 31 



assisting her husband in his own favourite departments of research, 

 Mrs. Kobertson turned her attention to the study of the recent 

 Foraminifera, of which she has formed a large and very valuable 

 collection. Dredging excursions off the Cumbraes and along the 

 neighbouring shores, as well as visits to more distant localities, 

 were frequently carried out by them both. 



In June, 1866, they visited Aberdeen and Banff, with the view 

 of examining some of the Post-Glacial deposits in the North-east 

 of Scotland, While at Banff they made the acquaintance of 

 Thomas Edward, and inspected his collections. Friendly relations 

 were ever afterwards maintained between Robertson and Edward, 

 and they frequently corresponded with each other. 



Later in the same year Messrs. Crosskey and Robertson were 

 offered a free passage to Norway. This offer was accepted, as it 

 afforded a favourable opportunity of collecting materials from the 

 Norwegian Post-Tertiary beds. They sailed from London in the 

 North Star, and Robertson took with him a letter of introduction 

 from Dr. Gwyn Jeffreys to Professor Michael Sars, the celebrated 

 zoologist. During the voyage from London to Christiania, 

 Robertson met with an accident, which resulted in the fracture 

 of his lowest rib. As his biographer remarks, '• the accident re- 

 tarded work at the clays considerably, but by the end of the week 

 the invalid was able to be taken out, and when they came to any 

 fossil banks, by being laid full length on the ground, he was able 

 to pick out the fossils with some care. When he had to be lifted 

 up on his feet again the pain was very great. But what is that 

 to an enthusiast % " Meanwhile he had written to his wife inform* 

 ing her of his accident. Full of anxiety as to the possible conse- 

 quences, she at once arranged for a few weeks' absence, and 

 followed her husband to Norway. Their visit to the " land of the 

 midnight sun " was full of iuteresting experiences, many of which 

 have been duly recorded. 



During the next few years the routine of work on the shores 

 and in the deeper waters around Cumbrae was often varied by 

 excursions to other localities, from all which Mr. Robertson 

 brought home abundant trophies of successful research. 



In 1867 he and Mrs. Robertson visited Shetland, for the 

 purpose of studying the Entomostraca and Foraminifera of that 

 group of isles. In 1868 he accompanied Dr. G. S. Brady in a 



