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SCIENCE 



[N. 8. Vol. XXXVII. No. 953 



and fossil fishes. His well-known memoir on 

 Pygopterus belongs to this period, having 

 been published in 1867. 



During the next six years he held the chair 

 of zoology in the newly established College of 

 Science in Dublin. This post was more con- 

 genial than his previous ones, but it is plain, 

 from the few papers published during these 

 years, that he lacked materials for carrying 

 on his studies in paleichthyology. His oppor- 

 tunity, however, came in full measure in 1873, 

 when he was appointed keeper of natural his- 

 tory in the Museum of Science and Art (now 

 the Eoyal Scottish Museum), at Edinburgh. 

 Shortly before leaving Dublin he married Miss 

 Phoebe Anna Moss, whose work as a painter 

 was just beginning to attract attention;' she 

 is the daughter of the late Dr. William Moss. 

 of Dublin. 



Dr. Traquair held the post of keeper for 

 thirty-three years, retiring in 1906 at the age 

 of sixty-six. His most brilliant and most last- 

 ing work was done during this time. He had 

 at his disposal a magnificent collection of 

 paleozoic fishes, including the materials 

 brought together by Hugh Miller and used by 

 him in his preparation of " Old Red Sand- 

 stone " and other works. Moreover, within 

 easy reach of Edinburgh were a number of lo- 

 calities where fossil fishes could be easily pro- 

 cured. But it should not be thought that Dr. 

 Traquair devoted all his time, during these 

 years, to his studies: he gave much attention 

 to building up the zoological collections at the 

 museum. The synoptic exhibit in this sub- 

 ject, which is displayed in a large square gal- 

 lery, is one of the completest, and perhaps the 

 best of its kind, in the world. It is the ad- 

 miration of all zoologists who visit the mu- 

 seum. 



^ Mrs. Traquair is widely known for her mural 

 decorations. Her principal work is the series of 

 mural paintings in the Catholic Apostolic Church in 

 Edinburgh, which took four years to complete and 

 is mentioned as one of the sights of Edinburgh. 

 She has also done exquisite work in book illumina- 

 tion, decorative bookbinding and in enameling. 

 For an appreciation of Mrs. Traquair 's work, see 

 A. F. Morris, "A Versatile Art Worker," The 

 International Studio, XXV., 1905, pp. 339-343. 



A few years after Dr. Traquair's retirement 

 his health began to fail and during the past 

 year or two it was felt by his friends that the 

 end could not be far off. He died in his sev- 

 enty-third year, on November 22, 1912, in his 

 beautiful home, at the foot of the Pentland 

 hills, at Colinton, near Edinburgh. 



Many honors came to Dr. Traquair in his 

 lifetime. He was an honorary or correspond- 

 ing member of many learned societies through- 

 out the world, including the New York Acad- 

 emy of Sciences, to which he was elected in 

 1899. He became a member of the Eoyal So- 

 ciety of London in 1881 ; in 1893 his alma 

 mater conferred on him an honorary LL.D. 

 He received a number of medals in recognition 

 of his services to science — the Neill medal of 

 the Eoyal Society of Edinburgh in 1878, and 

 the Makdougall-Brisbane in 1901 ; the Lyell 

 medal of the Geological Society of London 

 (1902), and a Eoyal medal of the Eoyal So- 

 ciety in 1907. 



Dr. Traquair's studies were embodied in 

 about 130 memoirs." He was not a voluminous 

 writer, as natural history writers go these 

 days, but whatever came from his pen was so 

 carefully, so conscientiously elaborated, that 

 even his smaller papers were highly valued by 

 those in his field. Fossil fishes are often very 

 imperfectly preserved, and authors are oc- 

 casionally carried away into seeing anatom- 

 ical details where none really exist. But Dr. 

 Traquair never let his imagination have sway 

 where his specimens were imperfect. His ac- 

 curacy was almost proverbial. Considering 

 the vast amount of detail contained in hia 

 papers, it is remarkable how little of it has 

 ever been debated. Indeed, Dr. Traquair has 

 been considered by some even over careful, so 

 that his results were sometimes held back for 

 a long time before publication. Thus, Dr. A. 

 S. Woodward has lately pointed out that Dr. 



- A bibliography of Dr. Traquair 's scientific 

 writings appeared in the Geol. Mag., dec. v, Vol. 

 VI., 1909, pp. 245-250. His last publication was 

 the memoir, ' ' Les Poissona Wealdiens de Bernis- 

 sart, " published in 1911 (Mem. Mus4e Boy. 

 d'Eist. Nat. de Belgique, VI., pp. iv -f- 65, 12 

 pis.). 



