Feb. 1S94. OBITUARY. 151 



ready than he to attack it or give his aid to those by whom it had to 

 be faced. 



The obstacles which have to be surmounted in the founding of a 

 university are famihar to those wlio have exerted themselves to pro- 

 mote the schemes for the foundation of the Victoria University, and 

 of a teaching university for London, but those obstacles present very 

 different aspects to the two bodies of men. When the difficulty has 

 been overcome, the contemplation of it becomes a source of pleasure 

 instead of a cause for anxiety. To Marshall, a difficulty ahead served 

 as a pleasant stimulus ; he rejoiced in overcoming difficulties, just as 

 he rejoiced in climbing a mountain peak. Cautious and expert as a 

 mountaineer, caution and expertness enabled him to contemplate a 

 great difficulty, if not with pleasure, at least, without fear. Difficulty 

 as a matter of history was familiar to him : unconquerable difficulty 

 almost unknown. And to this, no doubt, his perennial happiness was 

 largely due, for he was always happy. 



Too clear-sighted not to see what was his own personal interest, 

 he did not hesitate to sink that interest when it was necessary for the 

 success of the undertaking; and the readiness and cheerfulness with 

 which he did it led others to promptly make similar sacrifices. But 

 he did not regard them as sacrifices, for his great aim was never 

 personal gain, and he had the good fortune to be associated with 

 others who equalled, though they could not surpass, him in unflinch- 

 ing loyalty to the College, to the new University, and to the cause of 

 higher education generally. 



The success of the Victoria University Extension movement has 

 been due largely if not mainly to his efforts and his great power of 

 organisation, and especially to his tact in adjusting conflicting 

 interests. He thoroughly believed in the usefulness of the extension 

 scheme, and threw himself heartily into the w^ork — and the scheme has 

 succeeded. He did not make it a success single-handed, but those 

 who co-operated with him did so the more heartily because of his 

 encouragement. 



Many of the zoologists who knew him, and probably they alone, 

 looked with disapproval upon this expenditure of his time — the 

 energy did not much matter, for he seemed to have an unlimited 

 supply of it. From a purely zoological point of view, this organising 

 work was no doubt a loss to science. He himself ardently wished to 

 find time for more scientific work, and he had at the time of his death 

 already made preparations for new and elaborate researches. He 

 was, however, — as befits a professor — always ready to devote his 

 time to helping others in any kind of biological research. 



Two volumes of " Studies from the Biological Laboratories of 

 the Owens College" have already been published, and it was intended 

 to publish another very shortly. Of the twenty-one papers included 

 in these two volumes only four were prepared without his aid and 

 inspiration, and of these three are botanical. 



