MEMOIR OF SIR J. G. DALYELL. ^Iv 



the winner. He thus became the owner of both of Stabilini's famous in- 

 struments. 



As ah-eady mentioned, Sir John became a member of the Society of 

 Antiquaries in 1797, and it is needless to say, from his taste for antiquities, 

 that^ he took much dehght in the institution. He was the first Vice- 

 President of the Association. He was also a member of " The Society of 

 Arts for Scotland," of which he was one of the Vice-Presidents for Session 

 1836-37, and President for that of 1839-40. He, of course, early became 

 a member of the " Royal Physical Society/' and at one of its more recent 

 meetings exhibited an aquatic specimen which he had preserved and 

 described in his " Rare Animals of Scotland." The circumstance is thus 

 referred to in a newspaper paragraph at the time :— 



"The Royal Physical Society met at No. 6, York Place, on Wednesday evening, the 

 10th instant. A living Actinia, of gigantic size, was exhibited to the Society, through the 

 kindness of Sir John Graham Dalyell, Bart. The specimen was accompanied by a few 

 notes from Sir John, stating that it was the largest individual of any species he had yet met 

 with, measuring nine inches in diameter when fully expanded. 



" He remarked that the strength of this animal was very great; that, adhering firmly 

 by its base to a solid substance, it would seize, retain, and absorb in its dilatable mouth any 

 creature almost as large as itself; that even a human hand or foot might find some difficulty 

 in freeing itself from its powerful grasp. 



" Sir John stated as an illustration of the extreme longevity of these Actinia;, that he 

 had now in his possession a specimen of another species which had survived in captivity 

 nearly twenty-two years ; during that time it had produced 300 young. The secretary was 

 directed to return the thanks of the Society to the Hon. Baronet for his attention." 



Deeply interested in every thing connected with the elucidation of 

 natural history, Sir John was an associate of the " Palteontographical 

 Society of London," and an honorary member of the " African Institute" 

 of Paris. 



Imbued with a high degree of public spirit, and somewhat national 

 withal. Sir John was enrolled a member of the " Highland Society,"— 

 (latterly named ''The Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland,") 

 in 1807. He soon made himself of great use to this patriotic association. 

 He all along took a warm interest in its business— particularly in reference 



