92 NATURAL HISTORY. 



on his scientific pursuits. He was appointed in 1682, by 

 Charles II., Royal Geographer for Scotland a merely 

 honorary office and in consequence of this he under- 

 took the preparation of a work on the geography and 

 natural history of his native country. He took a con- 

 siderable part in the formation and establishment of 

 the College of Physicians of Edinburgh, one result of 

 which was his having the honour of knighthood con- 

 ferred upon him. Shortly after the accession of James 

 II. to the throne of England, Sir Robert Sibbald 

 followed the example of his friend and patron the Earl 

 of Perth, and turned Roman Catholic. His perversion 

 was so ill received in Scotland, that an attempt was made 

 to assassinate him, and he thought it safest to make his 

 way to London. Here he became ill, and on reflection 

 decided that he had been altogether too precipitate 

 in abjuring his former religious views. He therefore 

 repented of his rashness, and resolved to return home 

 and re-enter the church in which he was born a laud- 

 able resolution which he forthwith carried out. 



Sibbald's later life is altogether obscure, and has never 

 been traced out, even the time of his death being 

 unknown, though this event is believed to have taken 

 place about the year 1722. The work by which Sir 

 Robert Sibbald is now best remembered is a large folio 

 volume published in 1684, under the title, 'Scotia Illus- 

 trata sive Prodromus Historiae Naturalis/ &c. The latter 

 half of this work deals with the animals and minerals 

 of Scotland, the descriptions of the animals being accom- 

 panied by illustrative plates. Upon the whole, however, 

 Sibbald's name is perhaps most familiar to naturalists 



