140 THE BANK ACCOUNTANT. 



the learned, than all the other chapters put together. 



Mrs had a hit at me in Tait for introducing such 



a subject ; I could now tell her, however, of Fellows of 

 the Geological Society and Professors of Colleges whom 

 my chapter has brought more than a day's journey out 

 of their route to explore the rocks of Cromarty/ The 

 Old Red Sandstone was at this time a comparatively un- 

 known region to geologists, and the palaeontological dis- 

 coveries to which Miller was feeling his way excited 

 the keenest interest. Dr John Malcolmson, who had re- 

 cently arrived in this country from India, visited Cro- 

 marty, discussed geological problems with Hugh, and 

 examined with him the geological sections of the neigh- 

 bourhood. The Cromarty geologist began to correspond 

 with Sir Roderick, then Mr Murchison, and with M. 

 Agassiz. Fleming was at this time professor of natural 

 science in King's College and University, Aberdeen, and 

 he hastened to Cromarty to look with the only eyes he 

 ever trusted in matters of observation, his own, into the 

 wonders of Eathie burn and Marcus cave. It was doubt- 

 less of great service to Miller at this stage in his geolo- 

 gical studies to be brought into converse with the au- 

 thor of the Philosophy of Zoology, and to have his 

 theories, just beginning to take shape, overhauled by one 

 of the acutest, most searching, most philosophically 

 sceptical intellects of the century. His controversy with 

 Dr Fleming on the old Scotch coast-line, the existence of 

 which the latter denied to the last, probably commenced 

 at this period, and twenty years afterwards, when the 

 eminence and authority of both were acknowledged in 

 the Geological Society of Edinburgh, the debate re- 

 mained unfinished. But in none of its stages did it do 

 anything else than add zest to the cordiality of their 

 friendship. Miller knew how to value the trenchant 



