igio. Samuel Alexander Stezvaii. 203 



may safely assume that Stewart's early bent for natural science 

 generall}' eagerl}^ grasped the opportunities offered b}^ the 

 Science and Art Department who sent lecturers to Belfast ; 

 among others Professor Jukes, who lectured on Geology. 

 This course was followed in 186 1 by Mr. Ralph Tate (after- 

 wards professor in the Universit}^ of Adelaide) who became 

 resident lecturer in Zoolog}-, Botanj- and i\nimal Ph3^siology- 

 Stewart attended most of these courses and carried off honours 

 in them. These lectures doubtless gave his studies a systematic 

 lead which must have been of immense value to him Owing 

 to his zeal and thoroughness he soon became a favourite 

 pupil of Tate's, and later a close friendship which proved to 

 be life-long; ensued." 



Mr. Joseph Wright, another old friend of Stewart's, states 

 that on a recent visit to Belfast, Professor Tate said "he had 

 had a great many pupils through his hands in the course of a 

 long professional career but he had onl}^ met with one Samuel 

 Alexander Stewart." Mr. Wright says " He was one of the 

 most intelligent persons I ever came across in his younger 

 days. He had a wonderful gift of observation, even in 

 respect of things with which he was not familiar, as I have 

 proved when we were on expeditions together." 



The years immediatel}' following Mr. Tate's coming, were 

 marked by great progress in the study of geology and botany 

 in Belfast. On Saturda}' evenings Tate used to take his 

 pupils out for excursions, amongst others, Stewart, George 

 Donaldson, Hugh Robinson and W. M'Millan. The Belfast 

 Naturalists' Field Club, established in 1863 by Mr. Tate, in 

 conjunction with a number of his pupils, was the direct out- 

 come of his work. 



In 1863 Tate published his Flora Beljastiensis, where the 

 results of Stewart's earliest botanical work may be seen. 

 Stewart continued to work at his trade, all the time he could 

 spare from it being given to geology and botan}-, until the 

 year 1880, when he was appointed assistant curator of the 

 Belfast Museum at a trifling salary. In August, 1891, when 

 Mr. William Darragh retired, he succeeded him as curator at 

 a salary of ;/^65. During these years he took much interest 

 in the Field Club, attending the meetings and excursions, and 

 helping, as he always did, others who were working at his 

 favourite studies, and contributing to its Proceedings. 



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