2 BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



some departments indeed well-nigh an impossibility, a glance backward 

 into the territories investigated by the early pioneers cannot but awaken 

 a feeling of envy. On whichever side they turned something entirely 

 novel was almost sure to meet their gaze. They had only to stretch 

 out their hands and a veritable Klondyke of rich rewards awaited 

 their grasp. No wonder that their imaginations were aroused to the 

 highest pitch, and that conclusions and anticipations should be indulged 

 in, which would require time and the crucible of criticism, and more 

 exact observation to reduce to their proper value. In New Brunswick 

 the period of pioneer exploration, and of enthusiastic but not always 

 well justified prophecy, is identified with the name of Dr. Abraham 

 Gesner, a sketch of whose life and labours has been published by the 

 Society in its No. XV. Bulletin. That of the beginning of more exact 

 observation and of critical analysis is similarly associated with the 

 subject of the present sketch, Dr. James Robb. 



Dr. Robb was born in the city of Stirling, Scotland, in the year 

 1815. Of his early life and education I have been unable to obtain 

 any particulars, but, from letters written at the time, I find that he 

 entered upon a course of medical study in Edinburgh University in 

 the year 1831. He could hardly have ever entered seriously upon the 

 practice of his profession, for in August of the year 1835 we find him 

 travelling, while still a student, on the continent of Europe, and in 

 September, 1837, he had already come to New Brunswick to accept 

 the position of Lecturer in Chemistry and Natural History in King's 

 College (now the University of New Brunswick), in which as Professor 

 he continued to work until the time of his death, in 1861. 



It is very evident that, even at the time of his European journey, 

 which lasted for several months, he had already acquired a fondness 

 for scientific, as distinguished from merely medical or professional, 

 work, for he himself says, in writing to his mother, that the trip "was 

 more for science than for pleasure," and resulted in the " collection of 

 vast numbers of plants and shells and minerals." He must also have 

 already gained for himself an enviable reputation as a naturalist, for 

 he was accompanied by Dr. Van Beneden, already well known in the 

 scientific world, and carried with him letters to many distinguished 

 savants, making, as he says, the entire journey a "voyage cV agrement." 

 Switzerland would seem to have had special attractions for him, though 

 Nice, Milan, Genoa and Sardinia were also visited. The journey was 

 made on foot, and in the passage of the Juras was not unattended with 

 danger, the party being on one occasion storm-bound for three days in 



