298 HEROES OF SCIENCE. 



Aberdeen, and thence down the eastern coast by 

 Peterhead, by Buller's of Buchan, Arbroath, and 

 St. Andrews. The immediate result of this sum- 

 mer's work was seen in the preparation of a paper 

 for the Geological Society. 



Professor Sedgwick had already distinguished 

 himself in the difficult labour of unravelling the 

 structure of some of the older rocks, and Murchi- 

 son suggested that they should visit Scotland and 

 examine and describe part of the country together. 

 They desired to ascertain if possible the position 

 and general relations of the Old Red sandstone. 

 This journey, intensely amusing in its anecdotes, 

 led to much united work and good fellowship. 



Having learned the principles of the science, 

 Murchison went to study geology in the field on 

 the continent. Accompanied by Mrs. Murchison, 

 he visited the extinct volcanoes of Auvergne, the 

 South of France and Italy, and finally Ger- 

 many. Next year the Alps were explored, and 

 subsequently Austria. At Vienna, Murchison in- 

 dulged a little in what he always liked, and which 

 did good to science, good society, and then started 

 for Styria, and got much puzzled about the rocks 

 and fossils at Gosau. On his return to England 

 Murchison became secretary to the Geological So- 

 ciety, and held the position for five years, and then 

 he became the president of the society. Subse- 

 quently he began seriously to attempt the descrip- 

 tion of the geology of Wales which ended in the 

 establishment of the Silurian system of rocks. 



