142 PEOCEEDINGS OF THE 



In addition to these monoj^raplis published by the Palaeonto- 

 graphical Society, Dr. Davidson contributed numerous memuirs to 

 various British and continental Societies and scientific journals; 

 his work comprising the whole group oi' the Brachiopoda, recent 

 as well as fossil. Tlie Report on the series of Brachiopoda col- 

 lected by the ' Challenger ' Expedition was written by liim ; and 

 his last work, the material for which he had been accumulating 

 for many years, which was completed only a few short weeks before 

 his deatli, was a comprehensive and fully illustrated monograph 

 on the species of recent Brachiopoda. This was contributed to 

 our Society, and will shortly be published in the ' Transactions.' 



Dr. Davidson was a member or honorary member of a large 

 number of the learned Societies of Europe and America. He 

 was elected a Fellow of the E oyal Society in 1857, and received 

 one of the lloyal Medals in 1870, in recognition of his valuable 

 contributions to palaeontology. In 1805, the Geological Society 

 awarded him the WoUaston Medal ; and in 1882 the University 

 of St. Andrews conferred upon him the honorary degree of LL.D. 

 He became a Fellow of this Society in 1878. 



Dr. Davidson has bequeathed to the nation his magniiicent 

 and unique collection of recent and fossil Brachiopoda, together 

 with his valuable collection of books and original drawings ; and 

 he has left a name that will be held in honour so long as the 

 work of to-day has a claim on human thought. 



Thomas Edward, the well-known BaufF naturalist, died last 

 month (April 1880), in his 72nd year. He deservedly obtained 

 a high reputation as a shrewd and accurate observer of nature, 

 and as a most industrious and careful collector. Following the 

 poorly paid calling of a journeyman shoemaker in a small Scotch 

 town, his whole life was a struggle against poverty and hardship, 

 and the difficulties that beset tlie pursuit of knowledge without 

 means and without the necessary education. With Edward, 

 howe\er, the love for all things animate was inborn, and his 

 craving to rob Nature of her secrets was insatiable. Aotwith- 

 standing his many disadvantages he was able to add greatly to 

 the* knowledge of the fauna, marine as well as terrestrial, of his 

 native district, and made a great number of valuable collections. 

 Many specialists have acknowledged their indebtedness to him 

 for specimens sent and new species obtained. Edward himself 

 has also contributed the description of a number of his observa- 

 tions to various scientific jDublications, and some have appeared 

 in the Journal of this Society. 



The story of his life has been eloquently told by Dr. Samuel 

 Smiles ; and as an appendix to that work is a list of the Verte- 

 brata and Crustacea collected by Edward in Baulfshire, which 

 alone occupies 47 pages. 



He was elected an Associate of this Society in 186G, and for 

 some time he held the post of Curator of the Banff Museum. 



During the latter years of his life he had not been able to do 



