NATURAL HISTORY AT ST ANDREWS 277 



lectureship for more than two sessions, and apparently no 

 further effort was made to encourage natural science otherwise 

 than by the cordial support at once given by the illustrious 

 Sir David Brewster, on his appointment in 1838, in founding 

 the Literary and Philosophical Society and the museum. 

 Thus it was that the brothers John and Harry Goodsir and 

 Edward Forbes joined with the distinguished physiologist 

 John Reid, then Chandos Professor in St Andrews, in adding 

 lustre, under Sir David Brewster, to the newly formed society. 



The death of Dr Ferrie, the occupant of the Chair of Civil 

 History, gave an opportunity for the introduction of a new 

 feature in its history, viz. the presentation of a naturalist 

 Professor Macdonald (1850-1875), and the subject is now 

 brought within the personal experience of the present writer. 

 Hitherto, and for ninety-nine years, the Chair had been one of 

 Civil History ; henceforth it was to be a Chair of Natural 

 History, though still entitled Civil and Natural History. 

 What the views of Sir David Brewster originally were in regard 

 to this appointment are unknown, but soon differences were 

 manifest, the Principal retaining the lecture-room of natural 

 history for his lectures on optics and allied subjects, whilst 

 the Professor of Natural History had a small room on the 

 ground floor. 



The courses of lectures given by Professor Macdonald 

 ranged over mineralogy and geology, physical geography, 

 zoology, and botany. Complete courses on any of these, 

 so far as can be made out, were never given. Thus, for example, 

 in his seventh course (1856-57) the first eight lectures were 

 devoted to mineralogy, including special remarks on precious 

 stones ; the next twenty-seven treated of zoology ; while the 

 last five were geological. In looking over the notes of these 

 lectures, it is but just to say that one is struck by the large 

 amount of information conveyed in an earnest and interesting 

 manner in this brief course, which was attended, amongst 

 others, by an army surgeon and an officer of H.M. Indian army. 



