258 Froceedings of the Boyal Physical Society. 



neighbourhood. They had frequent Natural History excur- 

 sions together, in which they were often accompanied by 

 another intimate friend, the late Mr Alexander Bryson, also 

 a fellow of this Society, and who was always hailed as an 

 acquisition of scientific strength by the exploring party. 



In connection with Dr Fleming it may be here mentioned 

 that at his death the celebrated Actinia " Granny," which 

 originally belonged to the late Sir John Graham Daly ell, came 

 into the possession of Dr M'Bain, it having been presented to 

 him by Mr Fleming, and the life history of this remarkable 

 Actinia was the last contribution made by him to the Eoyal 

 Physical Society. " Granny" was handed over by the Doctor 

 to Mr John Sadler, Curator of the Botanic Garden, Edin- 

 burgh, on the 1st March 1879, shortly before his death, 

 with many earnest and pathetic injunctions relative to the 

 care and treatment of this aged and historical zoophyte. 



Dr M'Bain eventually took up his residence at Trinity, 

 where he dwelt for many years, and where he died. 



He joined this Society as a resident Fellow in 1857, 

 having for some years previously been on the non-resident 

 list of Members. During the time he was connected with 

 the Society, not a session, I believe, elapsed without various 

 interesting communications from his pen having been read 

 at our meetings, and it may also be noticed that he was 

 twice elected to fill, for the usual term of years, the Pre- 

 sidential Chair of the Society. 



In 1861, Dr M'Bain was elected a Fellow of the Eoyal 

 Society of Edinburgh, and was at one time a Member of the 

 Council of that learned body. He was also a Member of the 

 Botanical Society of Edinburgh, and took an active share in 

 its business. 



Dr M'Bain's tastes and studies were on the whole zoologi- 

 cal, notwithstanding that other branches of science had a 

 share of his attention. He was a good comparative anato- 

 mist, and had an excellent knowledge of osteology ; which 

 latter skill may be traced to his having been a pupil of the 

 late celebrated anatomist, John Barclay, who very generally 

 succeeded in imparting to his students a thorough acquaint- 

 ance with that branch. Dr M'Bain subsequently supple- 



