Obituary Notice of Sir William Jardine, Bart. 403 



" Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal." In 1834, he 

 went on a tour through Sutherlandshire, in those days, as 

 far as Natural Science went, an unexplored country. He 

 was accompanied by his youngest brother, John Jardine, 

 Mr. Selby, and Mr. James Wilson ; and the naturalists were 

 provided with every appliance for the collection of plants, 

 birds, and fishes. Their conveyance was a boat upon wheels, 

 drawn by two Highland ponies ; and this served them well 

 for fishing the lochs, and for visiting the haunts of wild 

 fowl and other rare birds, which sought the unfrequented 

 moors and waters of Sutherland. The boat often served 

 as a sleeping place, and many nights were passed under-neath 

 its shelter when turned over as a covering from the weather. 

 It was during this tour that the great lake trout, Salmo 

 ferox, was discovered and described ; while the study of 

 Icthyology was henceforwards added to the other studies of 

 this accurate observer of Nature, and led, eventually, to the 

 publication of his beautiful work on " British Salmonidse." 

 Previous to the publication of this work, Sir William had 

 undertaken numerous experiments on the rearing of young 

 salmon and trout, in a small pond prepared for the purpose ; 

 and these were from time to time turned into the Annan, 

 marked by small rings, or other devices, which led to several 

 being recognised, and their weight registered, when taken 

 months afterwards. He often visited, and gave the benefit 

 of his advice, in the establishment of the Stormontfield 

 Ponds, which were under the care of Sir John Richardson, 

 Bart., of Pitfour. Indeed, his knowledge of Icthyology led 

 to his appointment in 1860, as the principal Commissioner 

 appointed to investigate the Salmon Fisheries of Great 

 Britain, and the causes of their decay. 



Another study, by which Sir W. Jardine became known to 

 the scientific world, was that of Ichnology, or the study of 

 the footprints of different animals, when left imprinted upon 

 the shores of seas, lakes, or rivers. He was induced to take 

 up these investigations, from the fact that numerous footsteps 

 of extinct reptilian animals were found on the Jardine Hall 

 property, at the celebrated Corncockle Muir Quarry, in the 

 Permian sandstones of Annandale. This led to the publica- 

 tion in 1851, of the valuable Monograph, known as the 

 " Ichnology of Annandale." 



In 1844, the Ray Society was established. It was pro- 

 posed almost simultaneously by Dr. Johnston and Mr. Hugh 



