281 Miscellaneous . 



in the University of Edinburgh, the third son of Dr. Robert Graham, 

 afterwards Moir of Leckie, was born at Stirling on 7th Dec. 1786. 



In the first part of his career he practised in Glasgow, where he 

 was highly respected and very popular. In 1818 he was appointed 

 Professor of Botany in the University of that city. Previous to that 

 time, there was no separate chair of Botany in Glasgow. The Pro- 

 fessor of Anatomy, by his commission, was also Professor of Botany : 

 he was bound to lecture on Anatomy during the winter, and on 

 Botany during the summer session. Dr. Jetfray, the present Professor 

 of Anatomy, lectured occasionally on Botany ; but subsequently a 

 separate lectureship was established. Dr. Thomas Brown of Langfine 

 held this office for some time. Before retiring, he asked Dr. Graham 

 to lecture for him, which Dr. Graham declined to do, urging as an 

 apology the inadequacy of his botanical knowledge ; but ultimately 

 he was prevailed on to read Dr. Brown's lectures. On the resigna- 

 tion of Dr. Brown, the Crown instituted a distinct chair of Botany, 

 and conferred it upon Dr. Graham, who was in the habit of referring 

 to this appointment as an unexpected event, on which his future 

 success in life depended. He held this office till his translation to 

 the chair of Botany in the University of Edinburgh in 1821 *. From 

 this time, Dr. Graham devoted himself assiduously and successfully 

 to botanical pursuits. To his exertions Edinburgh is in no small 

 degree indebted for the excellent Botanical Garden which it now 

 possesses. By his enthusiasm and energy, as well as by his affable 

 and pleasing manners, he did much to promote a taste for his favourite 

 science among the pupils of his class. 



Under his auspices, the Edinburgh school became famous for the 

 number of accomplished and zealous cultivators of botanical science 

 which it sent forth, many of whom now occupy the most distin- 

 guished places as professors, teachers, and collectors. One of the 

 J^ef circumstances which tended to bring about these results, was 

 it)t% Graham's practice of taking excursions with his pupils, not 

 merely in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, but in various districts 

 of Scotland, England, and Ireland — excursions to which, as we well 

 know, his pupils look back with feelings of the highest satisfaction 

 and delight. The first long excursion was made in 1826, when 

 Sutherlandshire was the district explored. In 1827 he paid another 

 visit to the same county, accompanied by several pupils. These 

 excursions were continued annually in the month of August ; and 

 in this way were explored the floras of various parts of Scotland, 

 such as Clova, Glen-Isla, Braemar, Ben Lawers, the Breadalbane 

 districts, Wigtonshire, Ross- shire, &c. The floras of Cunnemara 

 in Ireland, and of North Wales, were also, in this way, carefully 

 examined. In all these excursions, the Professor was ably assisted 

 by Mr. M'Nab, the excellent superintendent of the Edinburgh Botanic 

 Garden. During the excursions several additions were made to the 



* Dr. Graham was succeeded in Glasgow by Sir William Jackson Hooker, 

 (at that time Dr Hooker,) who upon his appointment to Kew resigned the 

 chair, which was bestowed upon Dr. J. H. Balfour, the present incumbent. 



