298 Transactions British Mycological Society. 



Professors of Botany, Chemistry and Natural History: and 

 when Professor Nicol retired from the Chair of Natural History 

 in 1878 he held the professorship until a new appointment was 

 made. 



The present writer knew of Trail's personality chiefly through 

 meeting his students: it is not usual in these days to encounter 

 such whole-hearted enthusiasm as to a professor's stores of 

 knowledge long after removal from his direct influence. One 

 had only to converse with him on systematic mycology — facts 

 and philosophies — to understand to some extent the admiration 

 in which he was held by those who received their botanical 

 training from him. 



One characteristic of Trail was his generosity in the cause of 

 natural science. In 1902 he endowed the Nicol prize in Zoology 

 and the Dickie prizes in Botany at Aberdeen "for the purpose 

 of encouraging students to undertake research in the fauna and 

 flora of Scotland": in 1907 the Helen Scott fund in memory 

 of his mother for the benefit of students in any faculty showing 

 marked ability in botany or zoology who might require assist- 

 ance to enable them to follow out their studies at the University : 

 in 1909 the Trail fund of the Linnean Society for the presenta- 

 tion of a medal every five years for research during the interval 

 thro\\dng light upon the nature of protoplasm or the physical 

 basis of life. 



Trail was elected F.R.S. in 1893 and was president of Section 

 K at the British Association in 1910. He was president of our 

 Society for 1902. I am indebted to an obituary notice by 

 Sir David Prain in Kew Bulletin (1919) for much information. 

 A list of Professor Trail's publications is appended to the notice. 



Published ist April, 1920. 



