LINNEAN SOCIETT OF LONDON. Ixvii 



as a testimonial. On the 2nd of August, 1847, a pocket-book with 

 .£450 was presented to him by the Eev. E. Tagart, in behalf of the 

 committee, accompanied by expressions of warm personal regard. 



In the latter part of 1847 Mr. Hincks visited America, and made 

 an extensive tour, with one of his sons, through the States and 

 Canada, for the purpose of delivering scientific and other lectures. 

 In 1848 he returned to England ; in 1849 his wife died. Soon 

 after he obtained the appointment of Professor of Natural History 

 in the jS^ew Queen's College at Cork, a position which had many 

 attractions for him, which gave him comparative rest, and enabled 

 him to devote himself more freely to his favourite pursuits. But 

 he felt painfully the necessity of abstaining altogether from the 

 exercise of his profession, imposed upon him by the terms of his 

 appointment, and, being dissatisfied in some other respects with his 

 position at Cork, he was glad, after a few years, to accept the Pro- 

 fessorship of Natural History at University College, Toronto, which 

 he held tiU within a few weeks of his death. Before leaving England 

 he married again. 



This portion of his life was marked by a grievous calamity. The 

 vessel which was conveying his goods to Canada was totally wrecked, 

 a very large number of emigrants perishing with her, and almost all 

 the memorials of his past life, his papers, including his materials for 

 his college lectures (accumulated through many years), his Hbrary, 

 his valuable herbarium, and other botanical collections, were lost. 

 The blow was a severe one ; but he bore it with great heroism, and 

 at once set to work with unbroken energy to repair the loss, so far 

 as it was possible, and to prepare for his new duties, whilst stripped 

 of all his resources but those he carried within himself. 



Almost up to the time of his death he fulfilled all the duties of 

 his professorship, delivering lectures, devoting a large amount of time 

 to practical work in the museum of which he was director, and 

 keeping up with the sciences which he taught, besides pursuing 

 various lines of original research. Besides his writings upon religious 

 questions and questions of metaphysical and social science he pub- 

 lished many papers on natural history and other subjects, chiefly in 

 the ' Journal of the Canadian Institute.' Several of them wiU 

 furnish material for the use of scientific men engaged in Canadian 

 investigations ; as, for example, his paper entitled a " Specimen of 

 the Flora of Canada," and another, " Materials for a Fauna Cana- 

 densis." And besides these may be mentioned his papers : — " Natural 

 History in its relations to Agriculture," " Considerations respecting 



