198 The Naturalist of Cumbrae. 



North Star, a vessel owned by Mr. Seligman. The 

 same offer was made to Mr. Robertson, who had now 

 returned from his Banrfshire expedition, and the 

 opportunity of seeing some of the Norwegian deposits 

 was, he thought, not to be lost. Dr. Gwyn Jeffreys 

 gave him an introduction to Michael Sars, the cele- 

 brated zoologist. 



The two friends took ship from London. Un- 

 fortunately, through an accident that happened to 

 Robertson in his cabin, one of his ribs was broken. 

 Saying little about it till they reached Christiania, 

 he asked, as soon as they were come to the hotel, to 

 have the best medical skill in the town. Dr. Boeck, 

 brother of the able naturalist, the late Axel Boeck, 

 was called in. He could not at first say which rib it 

 was that had been injured. His patient, once himself 

 a student of anatomy, was pretty sure that it was the 

 lowest. Dr. Boeck thought it more likely to be the 

 next or next but one above, as it was rare and not 

 within his experience for the lowest to be broken. 

 However, when by the application of leeches he had 

 reduced the swelling and lessened the pain, he found 

 that it was in fact the short rib that was broken. He 

 paid his patient a visit every day for about a week, 

 and generally called in a second time in the afternoon, 

 saying that he had not come professionally, but for 

 the pleasure of a chat. Professor Michael Sars also 

 called almost every day. The accident retarded work 

 at the clays considerably, but by the end of the week 

 the invalid was able to be taken out, and when they 

 came to any fossil banks, by being laid full length on 

 the ground, he was able to pick out the fossils with 



