XXXV111 LIFE OF DR. ROLLESTON. 



real and striking as it may be to personal experience, does not 

 lend itself easily to description. Some accounts written down 

 at different times of his life may give an idea of the memory of 

 him which remains in the minds of the few who taught him 

 and the many who learnt from him. One of his students 

 writes :— ' During the years 1868-9, when reading for the 

 School of Natural Science at Oxford, I had the privilege of 

 studying Physiology and Comparative Anatomy under the 

 direction of Dr. Rolleston. . . . His lectures were always most 

 thorough. With a profound knowledge of the subject on 

 hand he combined a happy power of bringing that knowledge 

 within our reach. His voice was peculiarly pleasant, his pro- 

 nunciation so clear that I never missed a word, though the 

 lecture-room was large and crowded. There was a deep earnest- 

 ness about his manner, which could not fail to impart a reflection 

 of earnestness to his hearers. He encouraged us to take notes 

 of his lectures, and was particularly careful to insist that we 

 made a fair copy of those notes. This he would look over with 

 considerable attention ; on referring to my note-books I am 

 struck with the thoroughness of his scrutiny. Not only did he 

 correct all mistakes, but often filled up omissions, inserting much 

 valuable matter. Those note-books, containing copious additions 

 from his honoured hand, cannot fail to be a lasting and valued 

 memorial of him to all who are fortunate in their possession. He 

 did not consider his duty towards us completed when the lecture 

 was over and its notes corrected. If it was often hard for us to 

 attend the Museum in the Summer afternoons, the hardness was 

 always alleviated by the reflection that "the Doctor" was sure to 

 be there. The Court of the Museum is fitted up with enclosures 

 in which the student finds a table and chair. He draws the 

 curtain and settles himself down to studying the various 

 specimens arranged on shelves round his enclosure. The Book 

 of explanations lay ready on the table, written in Dr. Rolleston's 

 own hand ; he was perfectly familiar with the many thousand 

 specimens that the Museum contains. He would often visit us in 

 these hours of private study, and ask if we had any difficulty, 



