MEMOIR OF DR. WALKER. 39 



parish of Strath, in the isle of Skye, requires some 

 immediate attention. Lauchlan M'Kinnon has taught 

 in it since the year 1 759, but is now become so old 

 and decayed, as not to be able to teach it with that 

 success that might be expected. The minister of 

 the parish, Mr. Donald Nicholson, a man of uncom- 

 mon probity and goodness, did not incline to prefer 

 any complaint against the poor old man, but did 

 not propose again to attest the school." 



Appended to the Report were the following pro- 

 positions. 



" That the distribution of the royal bounty be 

 confined to those parishes in which the Gaelic lan- 

 guage is preached, That one-fourth of the present 

 catechists be employed as schoolmasters. That no 

 parochial schoolmaster receive a salary as a catechist. 

 That the presbyteries be enjoined to prosecute 

 the erection of legal schools in those parishes where 

 they are wanting/' 



As long as Dr. Walker continued at Moffat, his 

 correspondence with Lord Kames was uninter- 

 rupted ; and in the Life of his lordship have been 

 preserved several letters addressed to him on sub- 

 jects of physiology and natural history, when he 

 was engaged in writing his " Sketches of the History 

 of Man," which appear chiefly to have been replies 

 to queries respecting the subject of his investiga- 

 tions. The first, dated February 18, 1773, on the 

 analogy between man and the inferior animals, and 

 that between animals and vegetables, is extremely 

 curious, in the course of which he produces a num- 



