SIR CHARLES LYELL, HART. 16-3 



sense, and a tender anxiety for the welfare of her 

 numerous family, he goes on to say: — 



"The front of heaven was not full of fiery shapes 

 at my nativity, but it was a remarkable winter and 

 spring, so warm that my mother slept all night with 

 her bedroom windows open — which no doubt portended 

 something remarkable in the bairn ; and sure enough 

 he was pronounced to be the loudest and most indefatig- 

 able squaller of all the brats in Angus, and while he 

 kept others awake all night by his noise, thrived the 

 while most vigorously. Besides this, it was more than 

 twelve months before I cut a single tooth ; and some old 

 woman in Southampton, finding that my gums were 

 very hard, and that I could eat very well, very con- 

 siderately tried to persuade my mother that her first- 

 born would never have any teeth ! ' 



From his boyhood young Lyell had a strong inclina- 

 tion for natural history, especially entomology, a taste 

 which he was able to cultivate in the New Forest, 

 to which his parents and family had removed shortly 

 after his birth. He was educated chiefly at Midhursi 

 and then at Exeter College, Oxford, where he graduated 

 B.A. in 1819, and M.A. in 1821. While at the 

 University he had the advantage of listening to the 

 geological lectures of Dr. Buckland, which first opened 

 out to him a course of study which ultimately became 

 the passion of his life. On taking his degree in L82J 

 he came to London and entered Lincoln's Inn, and in 

 1825, after a delay caused by a chronic weakness of 

 the eyes, he was called to the bar, and was attached 

 to the western circuit for about two years. In the 



