474 
IN MEMORIAM : JAMES SPENCER. 
By the year 1851 he had accumulated sufficient information 
to enable him to begin an independent and systematic investi- 
gation of the Millstone Grits and Coal Measures of his native 
district, and to make sections of the various exposures of the 
rocks. When his work in the mill was over, Mr. Spencer might 
be seen at his favourite pursuit either indoors or in the field, the 
weather seeming to have no effect in damping his ardent spirit. 
Wet or fine, with hammer and bag, he would start on his 
rambles each Saturday afternoon and trudge for miles over hill 
and dale, studying the rocks and collecting fossils on his way, 
and would often come home late at night cold, hungr}-, and wet, 
carrying a heavy load of stones as the results of his toilsome 
journey. His winter nights were mostly spent at home, labelling 
and classifying his specimens of rocks and fossils. His holidays 
were mostly spent in excursions to other districts in order to 
study the various geological formations. Besides all this, he 
seems to have found ample time to write papers and read them 
before local and other societies, most of them being descriptions 
of his own work. He also contributed articles on geological 
subjects to monthly magazines and other periodicals, notably 
a twopenny monthly paper entitled the Circulator, which was 
commenced in 1866 by the Haley Hill Literary and Scientific 
Society. The Circulator, although short-lived, contained several 
interesting and valuable articles of geology by Mr. Jas. Spencer. 
The two first numbers contain an introduction to " Popular 
Geology." After this came two papers on the strata of Halifax. 
Other articles are on the coal pits at Low Moor and the 
geology of Ingleborough. We next find Mr. Spencer contributing 
papers to the Manchester Geological Society and the Yorkshire 
Natiiralist on the stratigraphical geology of the Millstone Grits and 
Coal Measures in and around Halifax. Mr. Spencer was an active 
member of the Halifax Scientific Society from its commencement 
until his death, and served as Vice-President. He was also for 
many years a member of the Ovenden Naturalists' Society and 
the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union. At the latter society he was 
on the General Committee, also on the Boulder Committee, and 
