44 PEOCEEDIlfGS OE THE aEOLOGICAL SOCIETT. 



been often and deservedly quoted. He became a Pellow of this 

 Society in 1864, having been elected into the Royal Society the 

 previous year, and he received the degree of LL.D. from the Uni- 

 versity of Edinburgh in 1882. He died on January Qth, to the great 

 regret of a numerous circle of friends. 



The death of Professor Jonisr Moeeis, in the opening days of the 

 present year, severed one of the few remaining links between the 

 past and the present generation of geologists. Born on February 

 19th, 1810, at Homerton, he received his education at private 

 schools and was afterwards engaged in business as a pharmaceutical 

 chemist at Kensington. His inclination to science was soon mani- 

 fested, and at the outset he took great interest in astronomy, one 

 of his earliest papers, published in the ' Magazine of ISlatural 

 History ' for 1836, being some observations on the Aurora Borealis. 

 Before this date, however, he had become interested in geology, and 

 had begun to collect materials for a catalogue of British fossils. 

 While thus engaged he published a valuable series of preliminary 

 notes in the ' Magazine of Natural History,' commencing in the 

 year 1839, and the first complete edition of the work appeared in 

 1845. A second edition was published in 1854, and the last years 

 of his life were occupied by the preparation of a third edition, for 

 the publication of which he was endeavouring to arrange at the 

 time of his death. This catalogue, to quote the words of an 

 appreciative memoir of Professor Morris, published in the ' Geolo- 

 gical Magazine ' for 1878, " may be placed among the most im- 

 portant contributions to modern Geology. It is far from being a 

 mere compilation, as every one who has worked with it can testify. 

 Every group, every genus, every species was made the subject of 

 exact study, and in each department the specialist is surprised to 

 find the advanced views of this great master in palaeontology. The 

 work, with its wonderful accuracy in detail, has contributed largely 

 to the elaboration of stratigraphical geology by supplying the life- 

 data so necessary for such a task." 



In 1853 and 1854 Morris accompanied the late Sir Roderick 

 Murchison on geological tours in Europe, and in the year 1855 he 

 was appointed to the chair of Geology in IJniversity College, which 

 he held until 1877, finally retiring from business some little time 

 after his election. Inadequate as was the remuneration of this 

 post, Professor Morris devoted himself most energetically to the 

 discharge of its duties, delivering full courses of lectures, accom- 

 panying his pupils on geological excursions, and enriching the col- 

 lection with numerous specimens, the fruits of his rambles. Of 

 the value of the gifts which he made to us at University College I 

 can speak from the fullest personal knowledge, and may add that 

 after my appointment as his successor, he not only presented nume- 

 rous specimens and appliances for teaching, but was in the habit of 

 frequently visiting the College to help me in arranging and identi- 

 fving specimens. In recognition of his services, the Council of 



