294 Notes, and Netvs. \j,W^ 



some of the flowers and animals which were the friends of the man whose 

 memory we wish to honor. The inscription reads: 'In memory of 

 William MacGillivraj, M. A., LL. D., born 1796, died 1852. Author of a 

 ' History of British Birds' and other standard works in Natural Science; 

 Professor of Natural History and Lecturer on Botany in Marischal Col- 

 lege and University from 1841 to 1852. Erected in 1900, together with a 

 monument at his grave in New Calton Cemetery, Edinburgh, by his 

 relatives and surviving students, who aftectionately cherish his memory, 

 and by others desirous of doing honor to his character as a man and to his 

 eminence as a naturalist." 



MacGillivray is best known as an ornithologist, but he was an authority, 

 and published extensively, on botany, geology and conchology. That he 

 was much in advance of his times in his liberality of thought is shown by 

 Professor Trail's address, in which he quotes the following from MacGil- 

 Hvray's 'Manual of Botany,' published in 1840 : "There is nothing abso- 

 lutely certain as to species, much less as to the groups into which they 

 are disposed, as genera, families, orders, tribes, and the like. We merely 

 agree to consider as species individual plants which closely resemble each 

 other in the structure and form of their organs. Such species, however, 

 often pass into each other by gradations, which render it impossible to 

 draw a line of demarcation, and thus all species are more or l^ss arbitrary. 

 We know from observation that all assumed species undergo changes from 

 climate, cultivation, and other influences ; . . . . " And this nearly twenty 

 years before the appearance of Darwin's ' Origin of Species ' ! To hiin," 

 says Prof. Trail, " Nature study in schools would have brought delight 

 as the promise of a better state of education. I think that of him, as of 

 few men can be said : ' Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see 

 God.'" 



Dr. W. L. Ralph, Honorary Curator of the Section of Birds' Eggs in 

 the U. S. National Museum, it has been ofticially announced, has under- 

 taken the continuation of the work entitled ' Life Histories of North 

 American Birds,' begun by the late Major Charles Bendire. It may be 

 added in this connection that Dr. Ralph desires to obtain as much informa- 

 tion as possible regarding the life-history of each species, and any pertinent 

 facts of original observation will be of particular interest to him, especi- 

 ally in so far as they relate to those species which in the Check-list of the 

 American Ornithologists' Union are numbered from 514 to 635 inclusive. 



It is hardly necessary to say that the great task left unfinished by Major 

 Bendire has fallen into good hands, and will, we trust, be carried forward 

 to completion in due time. Dr. Ralph is especially qualified for the work, 

 and is worthy of every assistance that can be rendered him. 



