28 4. Miscellaneous. 
in the University of Edinburgh, the third sen of Dr. Robert Graham, 
afterwards Moir of Leckie, was born at Stirling on 7th Dec. 1786. 
In the first part of his career he practised in Glasgow, where he 
was highly respected and very popular. In 1818 he was appointed 
Professor of Botany in the University of that city. Previous to that 
time, there was no separate chair of Botany in Glasgow. The Pro- 
fessor of Anatomy, by his commission, was also Professor of Botany : 
he was bound to lecture on Anatomy during the winter, and on 
Botany during the summer session. Dr. Jeffray, the present Professor 
of Anatomy, lectured occasionally on Botany; but subsequently a 
separate lectureship was established. Dr.’ Thomas Brown of Langfine 
held this office for some time. Before retiring, he asked Dr. Graham 
to lecture for him, which Dr. Graham declined to do, urging as an 
apology the inadequacy of his botanical knowledge; but ultimately 
he was prevailed on to read Dr. Brown's lectures. On the resigna- 
tion of Dr. Brown, the Crown instituted a distinct chair of Botany, 
and conferred it upon Dr. Graham, who was in the habit of referring 
to this appointment as an unexpected event, on which his future 
success in life depended. He held this office till his translation to 
the chair of Botany in the University of Edinburgh in 1821*. From 
this time, Dr. Graham devoted himself assiduously and successfully 
to botanical pursuits. To his exertions Edinburgh is in no small 
degree indebted for the excellent Botanical Garden which it now 
possesses. By his enthusiasm and energy, as well as by his affable 
and pleasing manners, he did much to promote a taste for his favourite 
science among the pupils of his class. 
Under his auspices, the Edinburgh school became famous for the 
number of accomplished and zealous cultivators of botanical science 
which it sent forth, many of whom now occupy the most distin- 
guished places as professors, teachers, and collectors. One of the 
chief circumstances which tended to bring about these results, was 
Dr. Graham’s practice of taking excursions with his pupils, not 
merely in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, but in various districts 
of Scotland, England, and Ireland—excursions to which, as we well 
know, his pupils look back with feelings of the highest satisfaction 
and delight. ‘The first long excursion was made in 1826, when 
Sutherlandshire was the district explored. In 1827 he paid another 
visit to the same county, accompanied by several pupils. ‘These 
excursions were continued annually in the month of August; and 
in this way were explored the floras of various parts of Scotland, 
such as Clova, Glen-Isla, Braemar, Ben Lawers, the Breadalbane 
districts, Wigtonshire, Ross-shire, &c. The floras of Cunnemara 
in Ireland, and of North Wales, were also, in this way, carefully 
examined. In all these excursions, the Professor was ably assisted 
by Mr. M‘Nab, the excellent superintendent of the Edinburgh Botanic 
Garden. During the excursions several additions were made to the 
* Dr. Graham was succeeded in Glasgow by Sir William Jackson Hooker, 
(at that time Dr Hooker,) who upon his appointment to Kew resigned the 
chair, which was bestowed upon Dr. J. H. Balfour, the present incumbent. 
