1841 H. T. DE LA BECHE 35 



another direction. From early years he had been 

 fond of natural history pursuits, and especially of 

 geology, for the prosecution of which he had found 

 admirable opportunities along the southern coast of 

 England. When only twenty-one years of age he 

 entered the Geological Society, and two years later 

 was admitted into the Royal Society. He did not 

 confine his attention, however, merely to English 

 geology, but extended his acquaintance with the 

 principles and illustrations of the science by foreign 

 travel. At one time he might be seen sounding and 

 charting the Lake of Geneva, at another he was at 

 work among the rocks on the Riviera, or studying the 

 fossil plants of the Col de Balme. He even carried 

 his science across the Atlantic, and while visiting his 

 paternal domain in Jamaica, lost no opportunity of 

 studying the geology of that island, of which the first 

 account was published by him. 



De la Beche had a singularly wide and firm grasp 

 of geological science. A master of stratigraphy, he 

 likewise made himself familiar with minerals and 

 rocks, at a time when the study of petrography can 

 hardly be said to have existed in this country. Having 

 read much and critically in chemistry, he was able 

 to apply the results of chemical research to the prob 

 lems presented by his geological work. Though 

 not a professed palaeontologist, he had such keen 

 sympathy with natural history inquiries, and knew so 

 much of the natural history of his own country, that 

 he recognised from an early period the necessity of a 

 knowledge of organic remains in geological research, 

 and did all in his power to foster the study and applica 

 tions of palaeontology. Moreover, he wrote a number 

 of papers and books. Among his most important and 



