vi Personal Traits of Murchison 267 



started for Khineland, the Harz and Fichtelgebirge, and 

 succeeded in demonstrating that the Devonian system is 

 more extensively and completely developed there than in 

 its original Devonshire home. 



I have dwelt on the labours of Sedgwick and 

 Murchison which more especially place their names 

 among those of the founders of geology. But besides 

 these exploits they each accomplished a vast amount 

 of admirable work, and helped thereby to widen the 

 bounds and strengthen the foundations of the science to 

 which they devoted their lives. To enter upon the 

 consideration of these further achievements, however, 

 would lead us far beyond the limits of our time. 



Murchison succeeded De la Beche as Director-General 

 of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, and held that 

 office until his death in 1871. To the last, he retained 

 the erect military bearing of his youth, and even under 

 the weight of threescore years and ten could walk a dozen 

 of miles and keep a keen eye on all the topographical and 

 geological features of the surrounding hills. Tall and 

 dignified in manner, with much of the formal courtesy of 

 an older time, he might seem to those who only casually 

 met him to be proud or even haughty. But under this outer 

 crust, which soon dropped away in friendly intercourse, 

 there lay a friendly and helpful nature. Indomitable in 

 his power of work, restless in his eager energy in the 

 pursuit of his favourite science, full of sympathies for 

 realms of knowledge outside of his own domain, wielding 

 wide influence from his social position, he did what no 

 other man of his time could do so well for the advance of 

 science in England. And his death at the ripe age of 



