IN MEMOEIAM — DAVID ROBERTSON. 33 



indicated on specimens in Mr. Robertson's collection, but attached 

 the latter's name to the list. As the catalogue which had thus 

 been submitted in Mr. Robertson's name contained omissions and 

 inaccuracies for which he was in no way responsible, a corrected 

 list was afterwards compiled by him and published bv the Field 

 Naturalists' Society, with a suitable apology for the error to 

 which the Society had been an involuntary party. 



In the years between 1877 and 1880, visits were made by Mr. 

 and Mrs. Robertson to North Wales^ Peebles, and the Hebrides. 

 With the latter year commenced a period of domestic troubles and 

 bereavements. He himself suffered from illness ', his elder son's 

 wife died in 1880; in 1881 Mrs. Robertson had several attacks of 

 severe illness; while in 1882 the younger son also lost his wife, 

 and was left with three very vouno: children. 



The ^larine Biological Station at Granton was established in 

 1884, under the supervision of Dr. John Murray, of the Challenger 

 Commission. In the following year the steam yacht Jledusa^ 

 which had been specially fitted up for marine research, was taken 

 to Glasgow for repairs, and the occasion was regarded as a favour- 

 able opportunity for investigating the fauna of the waters around 

 Cumbrae and Arran. The cruise of the Medusa in the Firth of 

 Clyde is thus chronicled in the Report of the Granton Station: — 

 "In March, 1885, a second visit has been made to the west coast. 

 Dredging operations were conducted for a period of six days by 

 Mr. Henderson,* and Mr. F. G. Pearcey, of the Challenger Com- 

 mission, in Loch Long, round Cumbrae, and in Rothesay and 

 Lamlash Bays. On three days they were accompanied by Mr. 

 David Robertson, of Glasgow, the well-known Clyde naturalist, 

 and to his kind assistance and guidance the short trip owed much 

 of its success. JSlany rare and interesting animals were procured, 

 not a few of which are unknown on the east coast, thus susforestinor 

 some interesting distributional problems. It is hoped that the 

 foundation of a branch of the Scottish Marine Station on the Clyde 

 will lead to an accurate comparison of the faunae and florae of the 

 two estuaries, and, in this way, clear up some obscure points in our 

 knowledge of the distribution of British marine animals and plants." 



Immediately after the departure of the Medusa, Mr. Robertson 

 wrote to his friend Dr. John Grieve as follows : — '• Mr. Murray 



* Now Professor of Biology in the Cliristian College, Madras. 



C 



