The Scottish Naturalist. 153 



they were established theories. Being anxious to ascertain his at- 

 titude with reference to the doctrine of evolution, I put the question 

 to him on the last occasion on which I spoke with him on any- 

 scientific subject. His reply, as usual, was moderate and cautious. 

 He did not think that parties on either side were in a position to 

 dogmatise. Evolution was a good working hypothesis, but little 

 more as yet. In his own department of botany there were endless 

 1 sportings ' or variations in plants, but so far as he knew, no un- 

 doubted transformation of species had as yet been discovered. 

 Still we should keep our minds open for further light. One thing 

 he was certain of, facts alone, and not speculations would settle 

 the question if it ever was to be settled. 



"Mr. Croall was a man of singularly beautiful and attractive 

 character. His amiability, modesty, courtesy, charity, unselfish- 

 ness were conspicuous. Dr. Howden says in the letter from which 

 I have already quoted — ' Croall's modesty amounted to bashful- 

 ness, and tho' his extensive and accurate knowledge fitted him 

 for a foremost place as a scientist, he shrank from asking favours, 

 or seeking what worldly advancement his accomplishments well 

 entitled him to. Gentleness and charity were eminent character- 

 istics of his nature, and he was never heard to say a disparaging 

 or unkind word of any one, and I could hardly imagine that he 

 ever had an enemy.' This is just Mr. Croall as we knew him. 

 And his fine natural character was hallowed by his Christian 

 spirit — for he was a Christian in the truest sense of that word. 

 In him the religious and scientific characters were remarkably com- 

 bined. He was the man whom Henry Kirke White longed to see — 



' Oh ! I would walk a weary journey to the furthest verge 

 Of the big world, to kiss that good man's hand, 

 Who in the blaze of wisdom and of art, 

 Preserves a lowly mind ; and to his God, 

 Feeling the Sense of his own littleness, 

 Is as a child in meek simplicity.' " 



ON TEE AIMS AND USES OF PEOVINCIAL MUSEUMS, 



AND THEIE EELATION TO PEOVINCIAL 



SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 



By Professor JAMES W. H. TRAIL. 



IT may be thought and said by some that the uses of provincial 

 scientific societies and museums are so fully recognised that 

 there is more risk of over than of under-estimating their importance 



