-492 



SCIENCE. 



[N. .S. Vol. I. No. 18. 



nent of Europe, and especially in the Alps, 

 that Eamsay was led to appreciate the great 

 importance of rain and rivers, as compared 

 with the sea, as a land-destroying and land- 

 ; sculpturing agent ; and of land ice as com- 

 pared with floating ice as a glaciating agent. 

 Eut his ardent, candid nature knew no 

 half-measures. His conversion was com- 

 plete, and some think that he even carried 

 his later views on this subject somewhat 

 too far. 



The work of Eamsay is well known to 

 geologists. But the readers of Science are 

 not all geologists. It may be well therefore to 

 briefly mention some of the main points on 

 which he contributed to geological knowl- 

 edge or modified the course of geological 

 thought. 



His greatest direct contribution to ge- 

 ological knowledge is undoubtedljr that 

 embodied in his admirable map of Wales. 

 The problem of Wales had been attacked 

 successively by Sedgwick, Murchison and 

 De la Beche. But the work of the older 

 geologists was far too cursory. Nothing but 

 the most careful foot-by-foot mapping could 

 unravel its intricate structure. This was 

 first done by Eamsay, and he devoted a large 

 portion of life to its completion. His map 

 is a monument of industry combined with 

 rare geological insight. 



Again, he was undoubtedly one of the 

 founders of the study of geographical forms in 

 relation to geological structure. Surety 

 this is one of the most fascinating depart- 

 ments of geology (or of geography, for it 

 may be claimed by both). It is this which 

 constitutes the chief charm of his admirable 

 work on the ' Physical Geology and Geogra- 

 phy of Great Britain.' 



Again, he was the originator of the idea 

 of other possible glacial periods in the his- 

 tory of the earth and especially of glaciation 

 in Permian times. His ardent uniformita- 

 rianism naturally led him in this direction. 



Again, finally, he was the originator of 



the doctrine of the origin of lake basins by 

 glacial erosion. It is possible that in the 

 enthusiasm of the originator, he maj^ have 

 cari'ied this idea a Uttle too far ; but it is a 

 misrepresentation to say, as has been done, 

 that he attributed all lake basins to this 

 cause. His original paper was entitled 

 ' Origin of Certain Lakes by Glacial Ero- 

 sion.' 



So much for Eamsaj' the geologist. But 

 the greatest charm of the book is found in 

 the vivid picture it gives of Ramsa}- the 

 man ; his intense interest in life in all its 

 phases and in hterature in all its depart- 

 ments ; his large human sj'mpathj^, embra- 

 cing alike all true men from the rudest coun- 

 trjr people in their sport and dances to the 

 most eminent scientists in their discussions ; 

 his deep love of art, poetrj^ and music ; his 

 ardor of temperament, showing itself alike in 

 the intensitj^ of his work and in his keen en- 

 joyment of fun and frolic. I never saw Ram- 

 say but once, viz., at the Montreal meeting 

 of the A. A. A. S. in 1857, when he was in 

 his prime. I remember well on the occa- 

 sion of a geological excursion in the vicin- 

 ity the rapid, eager way in which he scram- 

 bled over the rocks, hammer in hand, firing 

 all of us with his ov^ii enthusiasm. Is it 

 any wonder that he wore himself out pre- 

 maturely ? Although he lived to 77, yet he 

 resigned and quit work ten years earlier, 

 and was already an old man at 63. 



In closing this brief account of Eamsay, 

 I cannot do better than quote the closing 

 words of the memoir itself, " But above and 

 bej^ond the impress of his scientific achieve- 

 ments, Su'. Andrew Eamsay's high posi- 

 ton among his contemporaries was largely 

 determined by his individual personality. 

 His frank, manly bearing, his well-cut fea- 

 tures beaming with intelligence and a sweet 

 childlike candor, his ready powers of con- 

 versation, his wide range of knowledge, his 

 boyish exuberance of spirits, his simplicity 

 and modesty of nature, his sterling integrity, 



