MEMOIR OP DR. WALKER. 



then the library-hall, and was believed to be the 

 most considerable that was in the possession of any 

 university in Europe, There it remained for many 

 years, useless and neglected, some parts of it going 

 to decay and others abstracted ; till, soon after the 

 period that Mr. Walker had seen it, it was dislodged 

 from the hall where it had been so long kept ; was 

 thrown aside and farther and farther dilapidated, 

 and at length almost completely demolished. 



In the year 1782, when the Doctor filled the 

 natural history chair, he extracted out of its ruins 

 and rubbish many pieces still valuable and useful, 

 and placed them in the best order he could ; and 

 adds, in the conclusion of the account from which 

 the above is taken, " These I hope may now re- 

 main long in this place, and be considered as so 

 many precious relics of the first naturalist, and one 

 of the best and greatest men this country has pro- 

 duced."* 



Unfortunately the Doctor's anticipations were 

 not destined to be realized. He had collected, for 

 the use of his class, a number of specimens, which 

 he added to the pitiful remains of Balfour ; but he 

 had not the generosity to bestow them on the 

 public, or perhaps did not consider them worth a 

 bequest; and at his death the museum, and the 

 remains he seemed so desirous to preserve, under- 

 went a second spoliation; and the miserable frag- 

 ments left were of little benefit to his more eminent 

 successor, who presented his own private collection 

 * Memoirs of Sir Andrew Balfour, Tracts, 365. 



