22 



Thomson, one of the foremost zoologists of last 

 century. He was a Scotsman who filled the Chair of 

 Zoology and Botany in Queen's College. In 1869, he 

 was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, and in 1876 

 he was knighted. But by that time he had left Belfast, 

 and was Professor of Natural History in Edinburgh 

 University. He was best known in connection with the 

 "Challenger" Expedition to explore the mysteries of 

 ocean depths, and to examine, name and classify the 

 strange forms of life found there. One of his students 

 in Belfast — the late Reverend and Right Honourable 

 Thomas Hamilton, Vice-Chancellor of Queen's Univer- 

 sity, writes of him : — 



"Who that joined in the Saturday botanical exclusions 

 can ever forget them? Sometimes their scene was the bosky 

 shades of Collin Glen, sometimes the Cave Hill, sometimes 

 the banks of the Lagan. Thomson, with his vasculum slung 

 on his shoulder, and the ribbons of his Glengarry cap 

 streaming in the wind behind him, strode rapidly along at 

 the head of his band of students, halting ever and anon to 

 speak of the plants of note that were discovered. Then, as 

 the afternoon wore on Professor and students would gather 

 under the shade of some umbrageous tree, or on a mossy 

 bank, while the treasures that had been collected were dis- 

 cussed along with the sandwiches for which the morning's 

 ramble had prepared excellent appetites." 



A charming picture of student life in Belfast 

 seventy years ago. 



* 



On 10th and 11th June, 1868, the Club, to the num- 

 ber of thirty-four, held a Field Meeting at the Giant's 

 Causeway, with William Gray as conductor. Mr. Mack, 

 a well-known Coleraine photographer of the time, took 

 a group on "the Honeycomb." This — the earliest 

 photograph in existence of the Club — is reproduced on 

 another page. 



* 



Robert Welch used to talk of the Club's "luck" in 

 the matter of weather, and, no doubt, we are, as a rule, 

 extremely fortunate in this respect; but, nevertheless, 

 untoward events have from time to time occurred. For 

 example, in August, 1867, a party of thirteen, on a two- 

 day excursion, were "marooned" in the Glens of 

 Antrim Hotel, Cushendall. 



"It had been determined," write the Secretaries, "to visit 

 Glendun and Glenariff, and every arrangement was made for 

 the purpose, but ere the day dawned a violent storm of 

 drenching rain set in, and continued, without the slightest 

 intermission, for the entire day, catting off all hope of the 



