xvii 



a moderate competence, he finally settled in London as a retired 

 physician, where he resided during the rest of his long and well- 

 spent life. 



He had now leisure and opportunity for pursuing his favourite 

 geological investigations, and became a contributor to the " Transac- 

 tions of the Geological Society," of which he had been for many years 

 one of the Fellows, as well as to those of American Societies. But 

 the work by which Dr. Bigsby was chiefly known, and to which he 

 had devoted almost exclusively the last twenty-five years of his life, 

 was entitled " Thesaurus Siluricus," which comprised a list of such of 

 the Silurian fossils as had been described. This work was published 

 in 1868, a grant having been made in aid of its publication from the 

 Government Grant. In the following year Dr. Bigsby was elected a 

 Fellow of this Society, and in the same year received the Murchison 

 medal from the Geological Society. 



To show his interest in geology, Dr. Bigsby presented, some years 

 ago, a sum of money to the Geological Society for the purpose of 

 founding a medal to be adjudicated biennially by the Council for the 

 promotion of geological science, the stipulations being that, preferen- 

 tially, the recipient should have studied American geology, should not 

 be more than 45 years of age, and " thus probably not too old for 

 further work, and not too young to have done much." 



Dr. Bigsby 's scientific attainments were not more remarkable than his 

 many estimable qualities in private life. For many years — indeed to 

 the end of his long life — he was noted for his unostentatious charity, 

 and for the unceasing interest he took in the education of the poor 

 children in his immediate neighbourhood. His well-stored mind and 

 his geniality rendered him a most agreeable companion, and endeared 

 him to a large circle of attached friends. He was, in every respect, the 

 type of a Christian gentleman. His last illness was short, and he 

 passed away without suffering at his residence in Gloucester Place at 

 the advanced age of 89. 



John Gould, the Ornithologist, or the " Birdman " as he preferred 

 to call himself, was born of humble parentage at Lyme Regis, in 

 Dorsetshire, in November, 1804. When the boy was about fourteen 

 years of age his father was appointed foreman of the gardeners at 

 Windsor Castle, and Gould became one of the staff. Under the care 

 of Mr. J. T. Aiton, the head gardener of the Royal Gardens, Gould 

 passed several years, and during this period seems first to have 

 exhibited the intense love of birds and bird- life which has rendered 

 his name so justly celebrated. 



About the year 1827, Mr. Vigors required a taxidermist for the 

 collection of the newly-formed Zoological Society of London, and 

 asked for an exhibition of the skill of the various applicants for the 



