ON THE 
PROGRESS OF ZOOLOGY IN ABERDEEN 
AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD, 
By PROFESSOR J. W. H. TRAIL. 
~~ aie 
In the following sketch of the progress of Natural Science in this 
part of Scotland, I shall confine myself entirely to Zoology, as 
that department has been here so much less studied in the field 
than the sister science of Botany, of the progress of which, in 
addition, a very complete account has been given by Dr. Dickie, 
in his Botanists Guide, up to the date of publication of that 
work. On the other hand, I am not aware that any attempt 
‘thas been made as yet to give a connected sketch of what has 
been done in Zoology. 
I must refer the reader to the preceding paper for informa- 
tion on the work of the societies here, and shall endeavour only 
to sketch out what has been done in the systematic teaching of 
Zoology, and what has been published in magazines and in 
monographs of various groups. I am well aware of the imper- 
fect nature of the compilation, and offer it simply as a com- 
mencement, in the hope that others may aid in rendering it in 
course of time complete, so that we may be able to see what 
progress has been made, and at the same time how much 
remains to be done ere we can hope for even satisfactory lists, 
much more for.a complete knowledge of the fauna of the dis- 
trict. 
In the records of Marischal College and University is a state- 
ment that in 1753 various professorships were founded, as dis- 
tinguished from the former system of each “ regent” conducting 
a class through the full course. Among these professorships we 
find “ Civil and Natural History ” enumerated, but there is no 
record of a professor having been appointed to the chair till 
1788, when two names appear, viz., William Morgan and James 
Beattie, but of neither of them can I find any record beyond the 
‘names. The next occupant. of the chair seems to:have been 
