14 NATURE AND ART. 



juvenile days, each branch of study obtained equal 

 attention at his hand, and few of his college com- 

 panions were much ahead of him. In the last year of 

 his studies at St. Andrews he attended a course of 

 lectures on natural history given by Mr. John Gr. 

 Macvicar (then a licentiate of the church, now D.D., 

 and the accomplished minister at Moffat), and formed 

 friendships with those of congenial tastes to his own ; 

 and though so young, joined a scientific society, in which 

 several lads of promise were enrolled. Mr. Macvicar's 

 lectures embraced a general course of natural history, 

 and were much more than suggestive of first principles. 

 They comprehended the views of the French school 

 quoad biology, and these were far in advance of the 

 British in 1829 ; moreover, they gave a direction to the 

 feeling for the natural sciences in the ancient Univer- 

 sity. If the museum of St. Andrews was not large, 

 the student had the neighbouring quarries, rocky coast, 

 and hedgerows for helps to his geological and botanical 

 researches, whilst zoological demonstrations could be 

 had on the sea-beach and in the ocean's wave. 



During the recess or summer months Goodsir 

 showed no small liking for plants and animals, read 

 Buffon and Goldsmith, watched the growth of tad- 

 poles, scrutinised the contents of marine nets, traced 

 the ropes and rigging of the small crafts in Anster 

 harbour, and in various ways showed the intelligence, 

 constancy, and methodical study that characterised 

 him in after years. From his mother — a woman of 

 artistic powers — he got lessons in drawing, and he 



