OBITUARY. 



Rev. CHARLES CLOUSTON, LL.D. 



DR. CLOUSTON was an excellent example of a class of 

 men to whom we owe much of the progress that Scotland 

 has made in times past — we refer to the parish ministers that 

 devote their leisure hours to the scientific study of their surround- 

 ings. Though Scotland cannot boast any name so widely honoured 

 as that of Gilbert White of Selborne, yet we could name not a 

 few worthy followers in his footsteps ; and, among the number, the 

 subject of this notice must hold no mean rank. 



His attention was directed not to any one branch of science 

 alone. In several directions the investigations carried on by him 

 bore good fruit, and aided much in extending the knowledge of 

 Orcadian Meteorology, Botany, and Archaeology. 



As a meteorologist few men can claim to have carried out more 

 extended or more careful observations, as he may be said to have 

 continued these, almost without intermission of any kind, in the 

 western part of the Mainland of Orkney during the long period 

 from 1822 to 1884. From 1862 till his death he took charge of 

 one of the official sets of meteorological instruments ; and his 

 records were regularly published in the official report. He also 

 wrote an essay entitled, " An Explanation of the Popular Weather 

 Prognostics of Scotland on Scientific Principles." This essay 

 gained a prize offered by the Marquis of Tweeddale in 1867. He 

 also wrote a " Guide to the Orkney Islands," which first appeared 

 as a part of Anderson's Guide to the Highlands, but was afterwards 

 reprinted in separate form. In this work are numerous interest- 

 ing notes on the various departments of science in which its author 

 occupied himself. Among other subjects we find information of 



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