264 Notices and Proceedings of Scientijic Societies. 



gallery, there is a statue of the founder, in his robes, in a sitting position. 

 This was modelled and presented to the museum by our ingenious townsman, 

 Mr Hart, and is said to be an admirable likeness. The arrangement of 

 the various articles is extremely tasteful, convenient, and harmonious, and 

 the whole spectacle produces, on entering, a very imposing effect. It will 

 form a most agreeable and instructive place of resort to the numerous 

 citizens who already have subscribed to it, and, as such, cannot fail to 

 command the success and popularity to which it is justly entitled. "We 

 now turn to the dinner. 



This mingled scene of science and conviviality was numerously attended 

 by gentlemen of the highest talents, attainments, and rank, in this city and 

 neighbourhood, and by not a few literary and scientific gentlemen from a 

 distance. The president of the University, James Smith, Esq. of Jordan- 

 hill, occupied the chair ; and the duties of croupier were ably discharged 

 by Dr Corkindale, the treasurer. Right and left of the president sat the 

 following distinguished gentlemen : — On the right. Sir W. Napier, Bart., 

 Mr Wallace of Kelly, Mr Witham of Lartington, Mr May, Mr Wilson of 

 Hurlet, &c. ; and, on the left, Mr Fergusson, senior magistrate, Professor 

 Mylne, Dr Greville, Mr Walker Arnott of Arlary, Mr Cheek, &c. 



After the cloth had been removed, and the healths of their Majesties 

 and other preliminaiy toasts drunk. 



The Chairman rose to propose the memory of the illustrious founder of 

 the Andersonian Institution. The highest tribute that could be paid to him 

 would be found in the numerous assemblage of distinguished men of science, 

 who were now met to do honour to his memory, and to testify the 

 interest they took in the progress of the Institution, founded by him for the 

 noble purpose, to use his own expression, of " the improvement of science 

 and the good of mankind." He was old enough to have attended his class, 

 and he remembered well the impression produced by his dignified and gentle- 

 manlike demeanour, the felicity of his illustrations, his eloquence, always 

 graceful and elegant, and, when he adverted to final causes, or tlie great 

 First Cause, rising to sublimity. But his enduring fame could neither be 

 ascribed to his great attainments as a man of science, nor his success as a 

 teacher. His was the undoubted honour of having been the first to unlock 

 the gates of science to mankind. He first founded an institution for popular 

 science, open to every class of the community, where high birth and 

 humble genius might alike " derive the benefits of knowledge," and be alike 

 " elevated in the scale of thinking being." 



After this toast had been drunk with the usual marks of respect, the 

 Chairman again rose, and gave " Success to the Andersonian Museum." 

 He said he felt it altogether superfluous, when he remembered whom he 

 was addressing, to enter into the general subject of the advantages of culti- 

 vating the studies of natural history, or of the necessity of an extensive 

 collection of specimens for the purposes of cultivating them with success. 

 He would content himself with giving some account of the progress of the 

 museum, which, he observed, although circumstances had only permitted it 

 to be opened to the public on that day for the first time, was, in fact, coeval 

 with the existence of the institution itself. They had a printed catalogue 

 of the fossils in their museum so far back as 1798. That collection, which 

 had been formed by Professor Anderson, covered with the dust of more 

 than thirty years, or only disturbed by the rude handling of students or 

 operators, had no doubt suffered considerable dilapidation ; but it had been 

 much increased by donations. Mr J. A. Anderson, and Mr Andrew 

 Bannatyne, had each presented their private collections ; they had also 

 received donations of many rare and beautiful specimens ; and, as far as their 

 limited means would allow, they had supplied the desiderata by purchases. 

 He was aware that they could not boast of many of those matchless or 

 unique specimens that are the delight of the amateur ; but they might vie 



