SKETCH OF LIFE AND WORK 43 



study of mollusca ; and on that account, he adds, 

 he had made the descriptions fuller than usual, as 

 he was anxious "to induce them to go beyond mere 

 nomenclature and to make themselves acquainted 

 with the structure and relations of the objects 

 described." 



He further observes, with justifiable but modest 

 pride and prophetic forecast, that it was the "first 

 zoological work that has emanated from the University 

 of which I am a member, and I cannot but look upon 

 it as indicating the not distant dawn of an era destined, 

 I trust, to produce investigations, the importance of 

 which will tend to give our city a rank, certainly not 

 yet acquired, among those distinguished for the cultiva- 

 tion of Natural History." 



That prophecy has to a large extent been ful- 

 filled, and there can be no doubt that it is mainly 

 through his work and inspiring influence that it has 

 been so. 



MacGillivray occupied his chair eleven years, dis- 

 charging his duties with the energy, intelligence, and 

 independence of view which formed so essential features 

 of his character. In the course of his many excur- 

 sions and otherwise he accumulated a large collection 

 of zoological specimens, which he arranged into an 

 excellent private museum, with the capacity for 

 scientific order which was so natural to him. That 

 museum was used by him to great advantage as illus- 

 trative of his teaching, and it is now the property of 

 the Aberdeen University. 



