58 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



goat, gnu, nilghaie, musk-deer, musk-ox, yak, and stag. 

 Whales were represented by the mandible of a large sperm- 

 whale, finely engraved below the teeth, by the dolphin and 

 porpoise. There were three-toed sloths, Cape ant-eater and 

 armadillos, kangaroos and duck-moles, so that a good basis 

 existed in this department. A fine series of birds, including 

 the Dufresne collection, occupied the wall-cases ; whilst the 

 large fishes were represented by sharks, sun-fishes, maigre, 

 and others. The enthusiasm of Forbes would soon have 

 augmented all the foregoing groups, but it was in the Marine 

 Invertebrates that the most striking results would have been 

 shown, and these in the brief months of his professorship he 

 had already begun to augment. Nowhere was he more at 

 home than in the Museum, for his heart vibrated with many 

 a memory of the silent forms around him — linking with their 

 external aspect all the intricacies of their structure, and the 

 romance of their habits and life-histories. It is no wonder 

 that he felt keen disappointment when prostrated by that 

 fatal illness, just when about to utilise all his stores of 

 knowledge for the benefit of the great university. To his 

 friends and admirers that dimly lighted museum, with its 

 finely carved mahogany table- and wall-cases, for years 

 seemed to have the shadow of its lost master ever present — 

 a feeling perhaps heightened by the sombre quietude of the 

 place and the staid carriage of its old attendants. It and 

 its contents are still fresh in the memories as well as in the 

 sketch-books of the eager students of the fifties, one of whom, 

 the talented Dr Traquair, has but recently left us. 



The name of Edward Forbes will ever be one to conjure 

 with in the Department, and his memorable words in his 

 last publication may be read with advantage still : " In the 

 British Islands Natural History has long been a favourite 

 pursuit ; one indigenous in a manner to the people, and 

 attractive to them for its own sake. It leads to no profit, no 

 high places, no honours, no social position ; it has no 

 academical distinction awarded to it, and the few official 

 posts connected with the study of it are but poorly 

 remunerated and unattractive. Nevertheless the number of 

 naturalists, of one grade or another, is very considerable, and 



