LINNEAlSr SOCIETY OE LONDON. 33 



century is the history of Biology. That story would centre 

 around three names which will ever be held in high honour by, 

 I will not say all Linueans, but by all the world — the names, I 

 mean, of our founder Sir James Edward Smith, of Eobert Brown, 

 and of Charles Darwin. These men represent the three great 

 steps in Biological Science — the maintenance of the Linnean 

 system, the philosophic illustration and establishment of the 

 Natural System, and the study of the phenomena of life in the 

 organism. 



Obitfaeies. 



G-EORftE TEENcn Angas was born on the 25th April, 1822, in 

 the county of Durham. Some years afterwards his family re- 

 moved to Dawlish, in Devonshire; and it was there that he ac- 

 quired as a boy that taste for collecting seaside specimens which 

 ultimately developed into his love for conchology, the branch of 

 natural history to which in after-life he especially directed his 

 attention. 



After being at various country schools he was finally sent to 

 Tavistock for four years, and was then placed by his father in a 

 business house in the city. Commercial pursuits were, however, 

 distasteful to young Angas ; and after a year or so of unpleasant 

 drudgery, he determined to relinquish his uncongenial employ- 

 ment and see something of the world. His great ambition was 

 to travel, and having a natural taste for drawing, he hoped to 

 turn this talent to some account. His first trip was to Malta on 

 board a small schooner which belonged to a relative. Taking 

 passage in a native boat from Malta to Syracuse, he made his way 

 to Etna, which he ascended, and, after rambling over Sicily, 

 finally reached Messina, an exploit not without difficulty and 

 adventure in those days, when the journey had to be made on a 

 mule and the island was overrun with brigands. On his return, 

 home he published a description of his journey, entitled ' A 

 liamble in Malta and Sicily,' which was illustrated from his own 

 sketches. 



With a view to perfect himself as a draughtsman, he now studied 

 anatomical drawing under Waterhouse Hawkins, and also learnt 

 the methods of lithography. Then in 1843, at the age of twenty- 

 one he sailed for South Australia — a colony at that time in its 

 infancy. There he joined several of Capt. (now Sir George) G-rey'a 

 expeditions, and made sketches in water-colours of the scenery, 

 aborigines, and natural history of South Australia. He then pro- 

 ceeded to Nevi' Zealand, travelling over 800 miles on foot in the 

 wildest regions, making many valuable sketches of the country, its 

 inhabitants, their buildings, customs, &c. After an absence of 

 more than three years Mr. Angas returned to England, and sub- 

 sequently published his sketches in two imperial folio volumes, 

 entitled ' South Australia Illustrated ' and ' The New Zea- 



LINN. SOC. PROCEEDINGS. — SESSION 1886-87. cl 



