3io The Naturalist of Cumbrae. 



Scotland," compiled under the auspices of the Society 

 of Field Naturalists, Glasgow. 



The society went out of their own ranks to ask Mr. 

 Robertson to prepare the lists of Crustacea, marine 

 mollusca, actinozoa, and foraminifera. He told them 

 that, considering the time available and the laborious 

 piece of work which he had to carry out in regard to 

 the glacial fossils, it would be impossible for him to 

 undertake so large a subject as the marine mollusca. 

 He was willing, however, that any one who undertook 

 it should make what use he could of the collections 

 in his private museum. The localities assigned to 

 the shells, he explained, could be depended on, but 

 not the names of the shells themselves, since these 

 had been only hastily and provisionally assigned till 

 a day of leisure should provide them with their turn 

 for exact scientific examination. 



Then a curious thing happened. The gentleman 

 who undertook to prepare the list of mollusca readily 

 availed himself of the opportunity offered to examine 

 Robertson's numerous specimens ; but, perhaps setting 

 down the caution to that naturalist's usual modesty, 

 he paid it no attention, merely entering in his list the 

 names and localities, just as he found them in the 

 drawers of the cabinet. Finally, having an honour- 

 able consciousness that the work was practically none 

 of his own, at the end of the catalogue he had the 

 name of " David Robertson " printed. 



Had the work really been Robertson's own, and 

 been accurate in all respects except in having another 

 man's name attached to it, it is likely enough that he 

 would have passed the matter over in silence and 



