276 A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CHAIR OF 



then on the inorganic and organic kingdoms. The inorganic 

 kingdom he divided into three sections, according as the 

 bodies are aerial, liquid, or solid, viz. the sciences of meteor- 

 ology, hydrography, and mineralogy, afterwards proceeding 

 with geology, ' which supports its theories upon the facts 

 treated of in the three just named.' Half the session was 

 thus occupied. The organised kingdom (zoology and botany) 

 was then dealt with, botany appropriately fitting into the 

 spring months, when Nature affords development of the 

 plants as Dr M'Vicar observes in his evidence before the 

 Commissioners. In zoology the systematic arrangement of 

 Cuvier was followed, commencing with man structurally and 

 functionally, and passing down to the minutest animalculse. 

 This course was therefore very comprehensive, though the 

 time for its delivery was limited. The lectures, which were 

 free, were fairly supported, and amongst others Dr Chalmers 

 regularly attended a course, taking deep interest in the 

 subjects, and making copious notes like other students. 

 John Goodsir (afterwards the distinguished Professor of 

 Anatomy in Edinburgh) was also a student of Dr M' Vicar's 

 during his last session in St Andrews. In addition to the 

 interesting subject he dealt with, the charming personality 

 of the lecturer could not but render his course attractive. 



Dr M'Vicar further exerted himself to form the nucleus of 

 a museum (which, however, had long before existed) in two 

 halls over the common schools with their stone-benches for 

 the students. These halls, formed by the division of one 

 large hall by a wooden partition, were formerly used as dining- 

 halls for secundars and ternars, and Dr M'Vicar describes them 

 as of 'rather magnificent appearance, only they want light,' 

 a feature (viz. the want of light) by no means surprising 

 when it is remembered that the windows, which only occurred 

 on the eastern side, that is, toward the college quadrangle, 

 were carefully protected, for economic reasons, by strong 

 wire-netting. Dr M'Vicar does not seem to have held the 



