278 NATURAL HISTORY. 



soon had the effect of so far awakening his early love 

 of nature, that he ultimately threw himself almost entirely 

 into scientific studies. This result was also in large part 

 due to the intercourse which he enjoyed with Professor 

 Henslow, the well-known botanist. 



In 1831, Darwin graduated as Bachelor of Arts, and 

 in the autumn of the same year his final life-course was 

 determined for him by his appointment to the unpaid 

 post of naturalist to the Beagle, a ten-gun brig, com- 

 manded by Captain (afterwards Admiral) Fitzroy, and 

 then under orders to proceed on a long surveying voyage 

 round the world. This cruise occupied five years of 

 Darwin's life, and constituted 'the real great university 

 in which he studied nature, and read for his degree.' * 

 During this memorable voyage, he not only collected 

 a vast amount of scientific material of all kinds, but he 

 accumulated an endless store of observations which might, 

 and ultimately did, serve as the groundwork for his 

 magnum opus on the Origin of Species. 



In October 1836, Darwin landed at Falmouth, after 

 his long and profitable cruise in the Beagle. The 

 next three years were spent by him in London, his hands 

 being fully occupied with preparing his journals for 

 publication, and in making the needful editorial arrange- 

 ments for the description of the great scientific collections 

 which he had brought home with him.t By the advice 



* Grant Allen, ' Life of Charles Darwin.' 



f Darwin's 'Journal of Researches into the Geology and Natural History of the 

 various Countries visited by H.M.S. Beagle' was published in 1839. The 

 descriptions of the scientific collections were ultimately published in ' The Zoology 

 of H.M.S. BeagleJ which appeared in 1840-44. In this magnificent work, the 

 fossil mammals were described by Owen, the living mammals by Waterhouse, the 

 birds by Gould, the fishes by Jenyns, and the reptiles by Bell. 



