480 Ohituary Notice. 



fonts, querns, and other antiquarian objects not liable to 

 waste in the open air. 



It was a principle with Dr Grierson that a botanist ought 

 to assist nature in giving variety and beauty to the flora of 

 a district. For this purpose he used to scatter the seeds of 

 many of his garden plants by the wayside, in old church- 

 yards, railway embankments, and waste j)laces. Among 

 these, which, through this practice, have lived with us for a 

 quarter of a century, are Allium ohraceum. Acid wood, 

 Tynron ; Luzula nivea, Churchyard, Dalgarnock, and pro- 

 bably a few others looked on as garden stragglers. 



His patients were often irritated at the way in which he 

 would dismount from his pony to chase a rare butterfly, 

 or go miles around for a monster lamb or a Koman pot. 

 Next to collecting, his passion was to exhibit and explain 

 what he had gathered. He sometimes entertained the school 

 children of the district for miles around, who would come to 

 the museum, and who were rewarded by having small prizes 

 distributed to those who could write the best essay on the 

 contents of the garden and the museum. He scarcely ever 

 went from home, unless to attend the meetings of the British 

 Association, where he was a well known character in several 

 of the sections. He was interested in education, and especi- 

 ally in the teaching of science in schools, and was for many 

 years a member of Morton School Board and President of 

 the Thornhill Mutual Improvement Society. For a number 

 of years he conducted a society of enquiry, which met in 

 his museum for the discussion of subjects of scientific or 

 public interest. Although broadly tolerant in speculation, 

 he was always reverent. Next to his museum he was inter- 

 ested in young men in the district who betrayed any special 

 gift, and was eager to assist young or old in the pursuit of 

 knowledge, whether from nature or from books. He has left 

 his garden, museum, and library under trust for the benefit 

 of the public of the district. 



Supplementary Eemarks by Eev. W. M. M'Donald on 

 Dr Grierson. 



As an only child, Thomas Boyle Grierson was allowed 

 very much to follow the bent of his own inclinations or 



