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his attention from the hospital and the operating theatre to the 

 museum and the field, and led him to the conviction that the pursuit 

 of knowledge for its own sake was the only satisfactory sphere for 

 his activity, and that in devotion to science lay the vocation of his 

 life. 



An exploration of Norway, and the publication of a fauna of his 

 native shores, were among the first fruits of Edward Forbes's scien- 

 tific training. These were succeeded by excursions into Algeria 

 and Illyria, and by a stay of some months in Paris, where Prdvost 

 was teaching geology, and Geoffrey and De Blainville zoology. In 

 1840, Forbes published the first work by which he will be remem- 

 bered, ' The History of British Starfishes/ one of a series of mono- 

 graphs upon the natural history of this country which do honour to 

 its zoologists. Although consisting of little more than a description 

 of a score species of Echinoderms, this is, in many respects, an im- 

 portant and remarkable Essay ; and it must be considered to be by 

 no means its least merit, that, with an extent and thoroughness of 

 knowledge rarely exceeded, it unites a spirit of playful and elegant 

 humour, rare in itself, and still more rare in such combination. 

 Repudiating that stilted and pretentious solemnity sometimes thought 

 essential to the due preservation of the dignity of science, Edward 

 Forbes here exemplifies the doctrine upon which his whole life was 

 a commentary, that a true philosopher must first, and before all 

 things, be a genial and simple-minded man. 



Mr. Forbes spent the succeeding two years as Naturalist in 

 H.M.S. Beacon, then commanded by Capt. Graves, the chief of the 

 surveying corps at that time employed in the Mediterranean. At 

 this time Capt. Graves was more particularly occupied with the 

 ^Egean Sea, and for a short period he was engaged in affording 

 assistance to Sir Charles Fellowes's expedition in Lycia. Availing 

 himself of the opportunity thus afforded, Mr. Forbes, in company 

 with Lieutenant (now Captain) Spratt and the Rev. Mr. Daniell, 

 made many excursions inland. The terrible fevers of the Levant 

 did not spare the travellers ; and while one of his companions fell a 

 victim to their virulence, Forbes's own life was at one time despaired 

 of, and he always considered his constitution to have been perma- 

 nently injured by the attack. 



The results of these combined explorations, by which the forgotten 



2D2 



