30 Biographical Memoir of 
he yet found time for extra labour in other directions. In 
1813, appeared Cuvier’s celebrated Discourse on the Theory of 
the Earth, with numerous illustrations, “ translated by a gen- 
tleman,” says Jameson, “ well known to the philosphical 
world by his various useful writings, the late Mr Kerr, whom 
a sudden death has snatched from this transitory scene. The 
notes I have added, will, I trust, be found interesting; and 
the account of Cuvier’s Geological Discoveries, which accom- 
panies them, will be useful to those who have not an oppor- 
tunity of consulting the great work.”’ This elegant and popu- 
lar volume produced an excellent effect in our country. 
Cuvier, with all his genius and fame, was but partially heard 
of in Britain till this essay appeared, and it made him more 
familiar to our libraries than all his own invaluable writings 
put together. It ran through five impressions (upwards of 
six thousand copies) within a very short period. Mr Kerr’s 
translation was a work of 190 pages, but Jameson, in the 5th 
edition, completely remodelled the whole, and extended it to 
550 pages. To the “ Encyclopedia Britannica,” Napier’s 
edition, he contributed the articles Mineralogy, Geology, and 
Organic Remains; and to the “ Edinburgh Encyclopeedia,” 
the following articles,—Adelfors, Ailsa, Alabaster, Altai, 
Alleghany Mountains, Amber, Ambergris, Ammoniac, Ammo- 
nites, Amphibia, Amphibious, Arran, Diamond, Hartz, Miner- 
alogy, and the other articles in that work bearing the signa- 
ture (R). 
On the return of Captain Parry from his polar expedition, 
and at the request of that gentleman, he drew up from the 
specimens brought home a sketch of the geology of the differ- 
ent coasts discovered and touched upon by our enterprising 
navigator; which was published, together with the botanical 
observations of his friends, Brown and Hooker, and formed 
the scientific companion to Parry’s interesting narrative. He 
drew up for the Cabinet Library an account of the Geology 
of the Arctic Regions visited by Captain Parry. He wrote 
excellent articles on the Physical Geography of Africa and 
India, which appeared in the Edinburgh Cabinet Library. 
He edited an edition of Wilson’s American Ornithology, 
which appeared in four volumes. The whole was revised and 
