9 
- mission appointed to inquire into the state of the Scottish Uni- 
versities in 1826, Dr. Davidson gave evidence corroborating the 
above account; but to the question, “Is there any Zoology - 
embraced in your class?” he answered “There is; and I have a 
very numerous set of specimens for Minerology, and Zoology 
also. Botany I donotat all teach, because the season of the lec- 
tures does not admit of it, and Dr. Knight has been in the habit 
of giving lectures upon Botany.” Elsewhere he says, “The 
collection of specimens of Natural History are mostly my own, 
except a few in the museum. There are a few in the museum, 
but they are not adapted for teaching ; they are rather showy 
specimens, than specimens that can illustrate Natural History.” 
Q.—‘ It is stated in the return that there are specimens of 
Natural History under the care of the professor of Civil and 
Natural History?” A—“ There are, but I have a great deal 
more than double or treble those, of my own, which I could not 
do without. I keep my own ina closet off the classroom, and, 
as it is very damp, I am under the necessity-of having them 
carried to my house at the end of the session.” 
From the above evidence it is plain that the University col- 
lection must have been very limited indeed, and almost useless. 
Mr. Cruickshank informs me that, for some years before Mr. 
Macgillivray’s appointment to the professorship, the class was 
very efficiently taught by Dr. Shier, who was a candidate for the 
professorship in 1841. In 1841, Mr. William Macgillivray was 
appointed professor of Natural and Civil History, but though the 
name was retained (and I believe is so still at St. Andrews), he 
does not seem to have given any lectures on Civil History, but 
seems to have confined his attention entirely to the subjects at 
present taught in the class, viz, Zoology and Comparative 
Anatomy, Mineralogy, and Geology. With his appointment, 
Zoology may be said to have taken its due place in the Univer- 
sity as a subject of study, and the success with which he roused 
the enthusiasm of his students may be inferred from the fre- 
quency with which their names appear in,his Manual of Mol- 
lusca, and the zeal with which they seem to have aided him in 
his researches. He also made a private collection of specimens 
in the various departments taught by him (a collection bought 
by the University after his death), which forms the nucleus of 
the present museum of Natural History. On his death, in 1853, 
he was succeeded by Professor Nicol, the present occupant of the 
chair, of whom it would ill befit me to say more than that Tam 
sure all who have studied in his class must have a warm esteem 
and respect for him. Since 1852, the museum has been very 
largely increased, so that the large hall which was empty at that 
time is now full to overflowing, and more Toom is felt to be a 
