Obitnarxj — David Forbcs. 
45 
of the International Exhibition of London, and a similar one at 
the Exposition Universelle of Paris in 1867. In the latter year, 
also, he was presented with the silver medal of the Natural History 
Society of Montreal as a mark of its appreciation of his “ long-con- 
tinued and successful labours in Canadian Science.” 
As a diversion from his alinost unremitting palaiontological 
researches, Mr. Billings, at different periods of his life, occupied 
himself with the study of mineralogy and entomology. Among 
insects, his favourite group was the Coleoptera, and he made quite 
an extensive collection of Canadian beetles, wliich a few years since 
he deposited in the Museum of the Natural History Society of 
Montreal. 
Like many other original thinkers, Mr. Billings was entirely self- 
taught, so far as Science was concerned, and those who were best 
qualified to form an opinion on both points knew not wkich to 
admire most, the untiring industry of the man, or the conscientious 
thoroughness of his work. To show that he spared no pains to 
increase his knowledge of the Science which he made peculiarly his 
own, it may be mentioned that he learned to translate with ease, 
pakeontological essays, written not only in the French and German, 
but also in the Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish languages. 
J. F. White aves. 
DAVID FORBES, F.R.S., SEC. G.S., F.C.S., ETC. 
BORN 6 SEPT. 1828 . DIED 5 DEC. 1876 . AGED 48 YEARS. 
For many years past the names of its oldest and most eminent 
members have one by one been removed from the list of the Geologi- 
cal Society, and we have looked around, almost in despair, for men 
to fill the front benches, once distinguished by the presence of a 
Murchison, a Lyell, a Scrope, a Sedgwick, or a Phillips. Now, 
alas ! we have to record with sorrow the loss of one of those younger 
members from whom we had fondly looked for some ten years at 
least of active scientific work. 
The name of Forbes had already become well-known and bonoured 
in association with the Geological and other learned Societies by the 
scientific labours of the late Prof. Edward Forbes, brother of the 
subject of our present memoir; and when David Forbes returned to 
England after nearly twenty years of his life had been spent abroad 
in Norway and South America, he was cordially welcomed as a 
fellow-worker by his brother Geologists and speedily took an 
honoured place among them. 
Born in the Isle of Man in 1828, he was partly educated there and 
subsequently at Brentwood in Essex. His school-days over, he was 
removed to the University of Edinburgh, where, in Dr. Wilson’s 
laboratory, he laid the foundation for those Chemical and physical 
studies which so distinguished his later years. 
An early opportunity was afforded him of turning t-his Chemical 
and scientific training to good account, and before he was 20 he ac- 
