1888-89.] Dr James Smith Crichton. 523 



On 18th January 1887, while on his way to visit a patient 

 in the country, the doctor slipped on the ice, and received 

 injuries which aggravated, if they did not engender, the 

 illness which resulted in his death on 28th June of same 

 year. In all schemes for the intellectual, social, moral, and 

 religious welfare of the community, Dr Crichton, from his 

 youth up, took an active and prominent part. 



The Natural History Association (of which he was the 

 president, and which included a vigorous botanical section) 

 owed its formation to his energy, and he contributed largely 

 to its prosperity, activity, and usefulness. Among the papers 

 read by him may be mentioned " The Medicinal Properties 

 of some Common Plants," " Marine Algae of the Forfarshire 

 Coast," " Some Poisonous Plants," " The Male Fern," " John 

 Ptay, his Life and Work," "Aims and Objects of a Local 

 Naturalists' Society " (afterwards published), &c. He was 

 one of the most active members of the Committee to whose 

 labours we owe " The Flora of Arbroath and its Neighbour- 

 hood," which was published in 1882.* He was also a 

 member of council of the East of Scotland Union of Natu- 

 ralists' Societies, and prepared and read the report (since 

 printed) on " Marine Algte " at the annual general meeting 

 of the Union in Dundee, 1884. The doctor, as a member 

 of the meteorological section of the Arbroath Natural His- 

 tory Association, was largely instrumental, along with Dr 

 Alexander Brown, the astronomer, in getting the new ob- 

 serving station, with a complete set of instruments, placed 

 at the New Cemetery, Arbroath, under the charge of the 

 present careful observer, Mr John NicoU. It was his 

 earnest desire to see the herbarium and natural history 

 collections in the Arbroath Museum completed, especially 

 as regards local specimens, and scientifically arranged, so that 

 they might be of some educational value to the youth of the 

 town. A committee was formed under his direction to under- 

 take this work, which is still in the hands of the Arbroath 

 Natural History Association. At the time of his death he 

 was collecting data and memoranda relating to the antiquities 

 and natural history of " Kelly Den " and the " Cliffs," two 



* This committee included, among others, Alexander Hutton, F.L.S., now 

 of Dundee ; James Brebner, Dundee, and John Stewart, Arbroath, both Fellows 

 of this Society ; and John Nicoll, of '' Champion " potato fame. 



