W. Jameson. 289 



the Museum, William imbibed a love for natural history 

 which characterised all his subsequent career. 



He passed Surgeon in 1838, and on August 30tli of the 

 same year he was appointed to the Bengal Medical Service 

 and proceeded to Calcutta. The experience Mr Jameson 

 had gained in the Edinburgh University Museum was 

 not long of being utilised in his new sphere. Soon after 

 reaching Calcutta he was called to officiate as Curator of the 

 Museum of the Asiatic Society, and a report of the state in 

 which he found it, with suggestions for placing it on an 

 improved basis, was presented to the Society. Mr Priiisep, 

 editor of the Bengal Asiatic Society s Journal, thus writes 

 of Mr Jameson's report (vol. viii. p. 2-il) : — 



" During the few weeks Mr Jameson held the office of Curator, 

 his exertions have accompKshed more than could be readily believed 

 in reducing the chaotic materials of the Museum into systematic 

 arrangement and disposition. His suggestions will doubtless 

 receive the attentive consideration they are so strongly entitled to, 

 and we trust before long that our Museum will be guaranteed from 

 such reproaches as Mr Jameson now too justly mflicts on it." 



]\[r Jameson's first destination after a short residence in 

 Calcutta was Cawnpore,. where he was attached to a battery 

 of artillery ; but he was soon directed to proceed to 

 Amballa to join the Governor-General's Agency, under 

 Mr, afterwards Sir, George Eussell Clerk. 



In 1839 we find Mr Jameson communicating a paper to 

 the Journal of tlie Asiatic Society, vol. viii. p. 321, on what 

 was in his early days his favourite branch of natural 

 history. The paper bears the title " On the Geographic 

 Distribution of the Vulturidm^ Falconidce, and Strigidce ; 

 being the first of a series of memoirs intended to illus- 

 trate the Geographic Distribution of the Ornithological 

 Kingdom." 



In 1841 Mr Jameson was Civil Surgeon at Amballa, but 

 his scientific reputation led to his being selected by Mr 

 G. K. Clerk, Envoy to the Court of Lahore, to ascertain 

 the cause of the great " debacle " of the Indus, which had 

 taken place a few months before (June 1811), and caused 

 vast destruction to life and property. j\Ir Jameson was 

 also to visit Iskardo and Gilgit, and to report on the geology 

 and zoology of those parts of the Punjab through which 



