274 A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CHAIR OF 



subject, the date of the union of the colleges of St Salvator 

 and St Leonards is reached. In carrying out the scheme 

 for the United College about the year 1747, it was found 

 that there was a duplicate Professorship of Humanity in 

 St Salvator's College, which professorship, it is recorded 

 with quaint brevity, was converted by the Act of Union into 

 a Professorship of Civil History. This was the first step 

 in the evolution of the Chair of Natural History as it now 

 exists. 



What the condition of the Chair of Civil History was during 

 its occupancy first by Professor Vilant and then by Professor 

 Dick no available record indicates, but Professor Forest, 

 who held it for eight years subsequently, before his translation 

 to the Chair of Natural Philosophy, was in the practice of 

 teaching modern languages. Twenty years after its founda- 

 tion another Professor, Hugh Cleghorn, who occupied the 

 Chair from 1773 to 1793, had the greatest difficulty, to use 

 his own words, in attempting ' to make a class ' ; and from 

 one point of view the result of his labours was so unsatisfactory 

 as to do little more than refund the value of the paper, pens, 

 and ink with which he prepared his lectures. The professor, 

 who was the grandfather of the late esteemed Dr Hugh 

 Cleghorn of Stravithie, to whom, as will subsequently be shown, 

 botany in St Andrews is largely indebted, seems, however, 

 to have had some compensation, since he continued to hold 

 the Chair though absent from Britain for a period of five 

 years. 1 His successor, Dr Adamson (1793-1808), gave free 

 lectures for three or four months every year, and his course 

 in all probability consisted of a general outline of history. 



The next occupant of the Chair (1808-1850) was Dr Ferrie, 

 minister of the parish of Kilconquhar in Fife, who was ap- 

 pointed by the Earl of Cassilis, in whose family the patronage 

 lay. He likewise made efforts to form a class of Civil History, 

 ' accompanying ' (in his course of lectures) ' the general outline 



1 In connection with the wars then waging on the continent of Europe. 



