.TAMES WILLIAM HELEJfUS TEAIL 819 



As an arts student Trail's academic career at first much resembled 

 that of his school-days. For the humanities, in Avhich he had so lono- 

 been assiduously drilled, Trail had lost any liking he may ever have 

 possessed. Mathematical work, though it hardly cost him an effort, 

 never awakened any vivid interest. Even in philosophy, of which he 

 showed, later in life, so firm a grasp, his youthful interest in natural 

 processes other than mental was too engrossing to permit academic 

 distinction. When, in 1867, Dr. Trail took up the duties of his 

 chair and was once more in personal contact with his son, the situation 

 induced grave paternal misgiving and provoked no little paternal 

 impatience. That Trail had not taken the position which his father 

 had felt justified in expecting, was attributed to the consumption of 

 valuable time which Trail's devotion to natural history involved. In 

 spite of discouragement, the harder to combat because its intention 

 was kindly, Trail remained devoted to natural history. During the 

 magistrand pliase of his arts course his firmness of purpose was fullv 

 rewarded. Now he was able to attend the natural science classes and 

 to show, by his appearance in these, that he was in reality one of the 

 most distinguished students of his year. 



When, in 1870, Trail graduated in arts with honours in natural 

 science he passed on to the faculty of medicine, not from any desire 

 to become a surgeon or a physician, but with the object of obtainino- 

 a further training in science. In the new faculty he maintained the 

 brilliant position he had acquired in natural history, but when, in 

 1873, it was in his power to accompany, as botanist, an exploring 

 expedition to the Amazon region, he laid aside his medical studies 

 without hesitation rather than miss such an opportunity of first-hand 

 acquaintance with a tropical fauna and flora. When he returned in 

 1875, Trail resumed his medical studies and graduated as M.B. with 

 highest academical honours in the following j^ear. 



Ti-ail had already commenced the publication of observations re- 

 corded by himself at the beginning of his medical course and before 

 he left for Brazil had made his earliest contributions to the study of 

 galls, a subject as to which he acquired in time a European reputation. 

 On his return from the Amazon journey he at once began to work 

 out his results ; his earliest contributions, relating to the palms, 

 appeared in the Journal of Botany during 1876-7. The abilitv he 

 had displayed in securing his specimens, and the thoroughness of his 

 descriptive work, attracted immediate attention and led to his appoint- 

 ment, towards the end of 1876, as government botanist in British 

 Guiana ; but before the date fixed for his departure had arrived 

 Professor Dickie, then Professor of Botan}^ at Aberdeen, was com- 

 pelled to relinquish his chair owing to failing health. Trail was 

 appointed by the Crown to the vacant post and took up his duties, 

 shortly after his twenty-sixth birthday, at the commencement of the 

 summer session of 1877. Having fulfilled these duties with tlie 

 utmost efficiency for forty-two sessions he has now died, almost in 

 harness, after a brief illness, which involved surgical treatment, in a 

 nursing home in Aberdeen, on 18 September, 1919. 



Without being a fluent speaker, Trail was a clear and convincing 

 teacher. The precision with which his statements were made and the 



