396 BRITISH BIRDS. 



complete his education. At the age of twelve Macgillivray 

 entered King's College, and one year later, in 1809, lost 

 his father, who fell on the stricken field of Coruna. 

 Macgillivray, as he himself informs us,* "Commenced the 

 study of zoology in 1817 while qualifying for the medical 

 profession." . . . . " My only guides were Linnaeus 

 and Pennant," but a fellow student, William Craigie, 

 evinced an equal interest in Nature, and the two together 

 undertook a series of " pleasant and successful excursions 

 in quest of plants and animals " . . . . " and most 

 zealously strove to add to our common store of knowledge 

 both in zoology and botany." . . . . " The fascina- 

 tions of these pursuits were such that, after studying 

 medicine for nearly five years, during part of which time 

 I officiated as dissector to the lecturer on anatomy at 

 Marischal College, I resolved to relinquish it and devote 

 my attention exclu-sively to natural history." In pur- 

 suance of the project Macgillivray now commenced to 

 wander over most parts of Scotland ; he explored the 

 " desolate isles of the west " and walked from Aberdeen 

 to London for the purpose of visiting the British Museum. 

 He afterwards went to Edinburgh and attended Professor 

 Jameson's natural history lectures. He then again 

 betook himself to the Outer Hebrides, "where he hammered 

 at the gneiss rocks, gathered gulls' eggs and shot plovers 

 and pigeons " till finding this dull he returned to the 

 mainland and became assistant and secretary to Professor 

 Jameson, under whose supervision he took charge of the 

 museum at Edinburgh University. Having held this 

 post for several years he retired, and renewed his " observa- 

 tions in the fields," supporting himself meanwhile by 

 his labours with the pen. In 1830-1831 he was 

 unanimously elected as Conservator of the museum of the 

 Edinburgh College of Surgeons, and tliis position he held 

 till 1841, but meanwhile he in no way relaxed his ornitho- 

 logical labours, save, as he writes, for " about a year when 

 hope seemed almost to have deserted me." 



* Preface to "Rapacious Birds," p. 2. 



