NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 75 



favourite haunt, and that of a few intimate friends, was the county 

 of Sutherland, and especially the district of Assynt, where so many 

 lakes and streams afford ever-varying sport amidst the wildest 

 surroundings. Of both scenery and sport he was a keen ap- 

 preciator. It was only, however, comparatively late in life that 

 he became enamoured of the gentle art, but he then soon entered 

 into it with the keen zest of a born sportsman. 



About the year 1868 he began his scientific and literary career 

 in London, and after living off and on for a year or two in lodgings, 

 he finally settled himself for permanent study and residence in 

 1873. At this time some of his friends urged him to enter at 

 Cambridge University, but his inherent love of perfect liberty 

 prevented him from doing so. At one time he had thought of 

 entering upon a commercial life, but, no doubt, he considered such 

 a life less suitable to his constitution, and too constant confinement 

 was much against his inclinations. As we all know, the sequel 

 has proved that he judged well, and science has liberally benefited 

 by his choice. He rapidly took his place in scientific circles in the 

 great metropolis, indeed almost immediately after his decision. The 

 better to instruct himself, he attended the course of lectures by 

 Prof. Flower and others. In 1869 he was elected a Fellow of 

 the Zoological Society, and was put upon the council in April, 

 1880. He also became a Fellow of the Linnean Society, and 

 latterly its Zoological Secretary. Besides doing much scientific 

 work in the Proceedings of these bodies, he edited a portion of the 

 new edition of "Bell's British Quadrupeds" in 1874. In 1873 

 he accepted the post of one of the recorders of the Zoological Record, 

 and carried his laborious and important duty through six volumes, 

 1873-1878. He also undertook and carried out the treatment 

 of the Mammalia in the great work, Biologia Centrale Americana^ 

 conducted by Messrs. Godman & Salvin; and it is a source of great 

 satisfaction to his friends and in scientific circles that he was 

 enabled to complete this, his principal work, before he died, the 

 whole of his MS. on the subject being carefully preserved for 

 publication in due course. 



Amongst the more important of his minor papers are "Classi- 

 fication of the order Glires";* "Squirrels of the Neotropical 

 Eegion";f "On the Specific Identity of the British Martens"; J 



* P.Z.S. Jan. 18, 1876. 

 t Op. cit, June 18, 1878. X Op. cit., June 3, 1879. 



