184 -^w Memoriam : Dr. L. C. Miall, F.R.S. 



father being the Rev. J. G. Miall. Louis Miall attended the 

 Silcoates School, and quickly distinguished himself. Whilst 

 still quite a young man he became a teacher of classics, but 

 relinquished this work in 1864 to become curator of the newly 

 formed museum of the Philosophical Society of Bradford. 

 Early in the 'seventies he accepted a similar position in Leeds. 

 Here he revised and rearranged the contents of the Museum, 

 whilst deeply absorbed in the study of botany and geology, 

 especially the geology of the coal measures. About this 

 period, too, he entered the Medical School, and studied anatomy 

 for two years with a view to biology. 



The Yorkshire College began its career in 1874, and Mr. 

 Miall joined it as lecturer in biology soon after its foundation. 

 He still retained his active interest in the museum, and his 

 services as Curator cover the full period of twenty years, from 

 April, 1871, to October, 1891. As a member of the University 

 staff he was esteemed and admired by all his colleagues. On 

 the inauguration of the University the honorary degree of 

 Doctor of Science was conferred upon him. 



In the art of teaching he must be placed among the reformers. 

 He had had forty years of it, and saw many vital and beneficial 

 changes brought about. Lecturing he did not consider a very 

 effective method. He liked to draw his pupils out and get them 

 to expound the knowledge they had gathered, a- process which 

 quickened the intelligence and stimulated private study. A 

 lover of Nature, he was fortified in his investigations by an 

 excellent knowledge of botany, geology and insect structure. 

 His work on ' Aquatic Insects ' is a classic ; he wrote a text 

 book upon ' Injurious and Useful Insects,' elaborate treatises 

 upon ' The Cockroach " and ' The Harlequin Fly,' his other 

 publications including ' Object Lessons from Nature,' ' Round 

 the Year,' ' House, Garden, and Field,' and ' The Early Natura- 

 lists.' The last-named was published in 19 12, and is a very 

 interesting and lucid record of the growth of natural history, 

 with a critical account of pioneer investigators. 



In 1892 Professor Miall was admitted a Fellow of the Royal 

 Society. In 1896 he presided over the Zoological section of 

 the British Association — which met that year at Toronto, and 

 he was chosen president of the Educational Science Section of 

 the Dublin meeting in 1908. In 1904-5 he was Fullerian 

 Professor of Physiology in the Royal Institute. 



R. Gurncy writes ' Notes on Some Irish Entomostraca,' in Thr Irish 

 Naturalist for February. We notice that at a meeting in Dublin on Jan. 

 1 :5th, ' a promising discussion was cut short by the approach of Curfew.' 



The Journal of the Ministry of Agriculture, for March, contains a 

 paper on 'The Improvement of Peaty Soils. I. The True Peats,' by 

 Dr. E. J. Russell ; and ' The Starling : is it injurious to Agriculture? ' 

 by Dr. W. E. CoUinge. The answer is in the affirmative. 



Naturalist 



