312 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



In 1855 he contributed to Keith Johnson's Physical Atlas the Geo- 

 logical Map of the United States and British North America; and the 

 Chart of the Arctic Basin, with the accompanying letter-press, and 

 the text of the somewhat later Geographical Atlas of North America, 

 is from his pen. The philosophical questions arising from these studies 

 especially intei'ested him ; indeed, the whole bent of his mind was in 

 an eminent degree philosophical rather than technical. 



In the year 1857, while in Edinburgh superintending the publica- 

 tion of his Geological Report, he was appointed Regius Professor of 

 Natural History and Geology and Curator of the Hunterian Museum, 

 in the University of Glasgow, and thenceforth became a resident of 

 Scotland. While devoting himself to the duties of his chair, he be- 

 came associated with Jardine and Balfour in the editorship of the Edin- 

 burgh New Philosophical Journal, contributed a paper on ^' The Laws 

 of Structure of the more disturbed Zones of the Earth's Crust ""to the 

 Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and found time ibr a 

 number of scientific essays, published in Blackwood and Good Words, 

 as well as for occasional lectures on his favorite geological topics in 

 London, Edinburgh, and elsewhere. 



On revisiting, as it proved for the last time, his native country, in 

 1855, his friends were concerned to see that his health had given way 

 under his prolonged and excessive labors, overtasking a constitution, 

 elastic indeed, but not naturally robust. He returned to Glasgow, re- 

 invigorated it was thought ; but we soon heard, with sorrow, that he 

 was no more. 



Although the eminent position in geology held by our Jate associate, 

 and somewhat of the nature and dominant influence of the general 

 views of the associated brothers, may be inferentially gathei'ed from 

 this biographical sketch, yet we are, for obvious reasons, prevented 

 from entering upon their consideration here, nor indeed is it neces- 

 sary to do so. Of him whom we have lost, suffice it to record, here, 

 in simplest and briefest phrase, that he was a most accomplished 

 investigator, a graceful and persuasive teacher, and fascinating com- 

 panion ; that to rare powers and attainments he added a lively sym- 

 pathy in all the interests of humanity, and a courageous devotion to 

 whatever he deemed just and true. 



Alexander Dallas Bachk, born in Philadelphia on the 19th of 

 July, 1806, was the son of Richard Bache, and grandson of the only 

 daughter of Benjamin Franklin. His mother was Sophia Dallas, 



