BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 



ON the 29tli of February, 1808, Hugh Falconer was born 

 at Forres, in the ISTorth of Scotland — a town beautifully 

 situated on the banks of the Findhorn, but best known from 

 its traditional connection with the 'blasted heath' of Macbeth. 

 He was the youngest of a family of five sons and two 

 daughters, his father, Mr. David Falconer, being a des- 

 cendant of an ancient family, the Falconers of Lethen and 

 Halkerton. He received his early education at the Gram- 

 mar School of Forres, where he attracted the notice of his 

 teachers from his wonderful memory and facility for ac- 

 quiring languages ; and then, aided by the resources of 

 an elder brother in India, he entered the University of 

 King's College, Aberdeen, to pass through the established 

 Scotch Academical curriculum of classical literature and 

 science, extending over a period of four years. A fellow 

 student, who was very intimate with him at that time, re- 

 members well his diligence and steady conduct, and adds 

 that even then, ' he was an immense favourite with his class- 

 fellows, and was remarked for his playful genial humour, and 

 frank, generous, winning disposition,' and that ' they who 

 watched him closely could detect in the young student the 

 penetrating intellect and shrewdness in observing which 

 distinguished the future palaeontologist.' ' Eeading was 

 always his favourite amusement, and although the subjects 

 which he studied were very varied, he was especially fond of 

 everything relating to Natural History. A book entitled 

 ' The Three Hundred Animals ' was an especial favourite,' 



' Letter from tho Kev. Duncan Camplsell. 



