WYVILLE THOMSON 39 



Society — which, despite its name, is a Society of Natural 

 History — and for a couple of years he filled the office of 

 secretary, surely one of the youngest on record. Fortunately 

 for oceanography, after about three years of study, ill-health 

 caused our young naturalist to give up all idea of the medical 

 profession, and to turn his attention definitely to the natural 

 sciences as his life-work. He left the university in 1850, 

 without taking a degree, but his ability and reputation were 

 such that he made rapid progress in the chosen career, and 

 filled successively the posts of Lecturer on Botany in the 

 University of Aberdeen (1851), Professor of Natural History 

 in Queen's College, Cork (1853), Professor of Geology in 

 Belfast (1854), and a few years later (1860) Professor of 

 Zoology and Botany in the same college. It will be noticed 

 that, like Edward Forbes, Wyville Thomson was capable 

 of filling with success posts in all the natural sciences in 

 succession, and this wide range of interest and of knowledge 

 was, of course, of immense advantage in the great work that 

 was to come in exploring the oceans. 



A former student and assistant of Professor Wyville 

 Thomson, at Belfast, has kindly provided me with the follow- 

 ing impressions : — Thomson had a bright, handsome face and 

 a Hght, springy step ; he was a delightful and instructive 

 lecturer, who had on his table a profusion of specimens of 

 which he made incessant use, but spoke without notes. His 

 Saturday excursions must have been delightful. We have 

 a picture of him striding along, vasculum on back, at the head 

 of his students, pointing out specimens and objects of interest 

 as they were encountered. His hospitahty to his students has 

 left pleasant memories of the music and games at their 

 social evenings. Amongst other activities at Belfast, he took 

 a prominent position at the Natural History and Philo- 

 sophical Society, the BeKast Naturalists' Field Club, and 

 also the Literary Society, at all of which he read papers. We 

 hear that he gloried in his beautiful garden and was a valued 

 judge at the local flower shows. 



