The Natural History Society. 185 



In a previous letter, dated February 16, 1864, 

 Norman says, "Many thanks to you for your kind 

 present of algae, which reached me safely ; fifteen of 

 the species and varieties were new to me, and most of 

 the others of interest." 



Robertson never allowed the superior charms of 

 marine zoology entirely to wean him from his love for 

 the botany of the sea. The early days of the Natural 

 History Society of Glasgow passed unrecorded, except 

 for a pamphlet of a few pages and a short notice in 

 The Naturalist for January and February, 1855. The 

 latter contains an account of the session of 1854, and 

 mentions that Mr. Robertson had exhibited a rare 

 seaweed, Desmarestia herbacea, which had been sent 

 him from Ireland. 



Though the Glasgow Society was founded in 1851, 

 the first volume of its Proceedings was not published 

 till 1868. The records, however, printed in that 

 volume begin with the eighth annual general meet- 

 ing, held in Anderson's University Buildings, Sep- 

 tember 27, 1859. The very first entry is of specimens 

 exhibited by Mr. David Robertson, and, though 

 naturally since the foundation of the society a vast 

 number of papers had been read, the first described 

 in its annals is also one by Mr. David Robertson. 



Many collectors and descriptive writers have to be 

 content with dead specimens, among the mollusca 

 with empty shells, which are practically only husks 

 from which the kernels have been withdrawn, and in 

 other groups with corpses either dried or preserved 

 in spirit, and in consequence shrivelled, contracted, 

 discoloured. When animals are brought up from great 



