XXIV BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCH. 



and the intervals of his sessions at King's College, when he 

 was a pupil of Drs. Smith and Adams of Forres, were chiefly 

 spent in studying the botany of the neighbourhood and in 

 watching the habits of the many animals which he kept as 

 pets. After receiving the degree of Master of Arts at 

 Aberdeen, in 1826, he proceeded to Edinburgh to enter on the 

 study of Medicine, Here he eagerly followed up his early 

 tastes for Natural History, under the systematic tuition of 

 the late Professor Graham in Botany, and Professor Jameson 

 in Geology and the other branches of Natural History. Ac- 

 cording to the testimony of one who knew him well, ' he 

 laboured with untiring energy. Shut up in his apartments 

 for days together, he allowed himself little relaxation except 

 that of accompanying the great Wenierian Professor in his 

 Geological excursions with wallet and hammer, which he 

 never failed to do." His range of study, however, at this time 

 was perhaps too excursive for solid attainment in any one 

 walk; for, besides attendance on the numerous classes in Medi- 

 cme and Natural History, he matriculated as a student in 

 Divinity, in order to benefit by the renowned teaching of Dr. 

 Chalmers, then Professor of Divinity in the University. In 

 1829 he received the degree of M.D. from the Edinburgh 

 University, his graduation thesis being entitled ' De Chorea.' 

 In the same year he was nominated to the appointment of 

 Assistant-Surgeon on the Bengal establishment of the Hon. 

 East India Comj)any, but not having attained the required 

 age of 22 years, he proceeded to London, where he devoted 

 the necessary interval to assisting the late Dr. Nathaniel 

 Wallich in the distribution of his great Indian Herbarium ; 

 and, under the generously bestowed instruction of Mr. Lons- 

 dale, to the further study of Geology and Palaeontology. The 

 Museum of the Geological Society of London, under the 

 charge of Mr. Lonsdale, gave him access to the collection of 

 Indian fossil mammalia from the banks of the Irrawaddi, 

 formed by Mr. John Crawfurd during his mission to Ava. 

 The description of these remains by Mr. Clift had excited 

 much interest in the scientific world, as the first instance in 

 which ground had been broken in the palaeontology of tro- 

 .pical regions. 



> The Rev. D. Campbell. 



