8 
James Davidson, M.D., appointed in 1811. He also seems to 
have done nothing to add to the knowledge of the fauna of the 
district, a fact which could hardly surprise anyone who reads the 
following extract from Kennedy’s Annals of Aberdeen (Vol. IL., pp. 
95-96), on the subjects embraced in his course, Zoology being 
conspicuous by its almost total absence. 
“9d Class—James Davidson, M:D., Professor of Civil and 
Natural History. In the Scottish Universities perhaps there is 
no class correspondent to that of the second year.at this Uni- 
versity. Ifis denominated the Natural and Civil History Class. 
The lectures delivered by Professor Davidson are composed on 
an extensive plan, and embrace subjects of. the utmost impor- 
tance to the student. They proceed nearly in the following 
order :—In the first brauch is given a short view of the celes- 
tial system, comprising an account of the rise and progress of 
astronomy ; then follow short sketches of the nature and effects © 
of light, connecting together the solar and terrestrial system. 
These naturally lead him to consider electricity, galvanism, 
magnetism, and their various causes and effects. The professor 
then proceeds to give a brief view of the affinities which unite 
minute atoms of matter, of the same kind, forming aggregation ; 
and of dissimilar kinds producing chemical union. Those general 
principles are then applied, by giving a history of the atmo- 
sphere ; of the phenomena connected with it, rain, wind, snow, 
hail, meteors, thunder, &c.; and of the waters on the surface of 
the globe ; with the origin of springs, the nature of rivers, &c. 
A short explanation is also given of geology, with the various 
theories of the earth ; and the phenomena of volcanoes, earth- _ 
quakes, &c. In the second branch is given an explanation of 
the three kingdoms of nature ; the simple substances found in 
minerals, and their unions, are first illustrated by specimens, of 
which the professor possesses a beautiful and extensive collec- 
tion. The constituent principles of vegetables next engage his 
attention ; and this branch he concludes with a view of the 
physiology of plants, an outline of the Linnean classification, 
animal chemistry and physiology of animals, and the various 
plans which have been adopted for arranging them into a sys- 
tem. The natural and civil history of man concludes the course. 
Two hours a-day are devoted, during the time of session, to these 
various branches of science; aud one hour is appropriated, for 
four months, to the study of the Latin language, in which the 
students generally read the Georgics of Virgil, as being not only 
models of the most perfect Latin composition, but as affording 
grounds for illustrating the knowledge of the ancients with 
regard to natural history.” 
In the evidence, oral and documentary, received by a Com- 
