48 
Obituary — David Forbes. 
have appeared in the Geologioal Magazine from 186G — 1872. They 
all indicate the tendency of his naind to study the bearings of 
chemistry on igneous and cosmical phenomena. Forbes feit that 
whilst in other departments of Geology, Great Britain was foremost, 
she was far behind in the study of Chemical Geology, and he hoped 
that others might be induced to devote themselves to this most 
interesting and prolific branch of scientific inquiry. His views were 
expressed in his paper on “Chemical Geology” (Chemical News, 
1867 and 1S68; Populär Science JReoiew, 1868 ; Geol. Mag., 1868, 
Yol. Y. p. 366, and in his Lecture to the Chemical Society, 1868), 
and also in his paper on the “ Chemistry of the Primeval Earth,” 
(Geol. Mag.. 1867, Vol. IV. p. 433 ; and 1868, Vol. V., p. 1U5), in 
which he criticized certain opinions of Dr. Sterry Hunt published in 
his lecture at the Boyal Institution (1867) on the same subject 
(Geol. Mag. 1867, Yol. IV. p. 357), 
His most important papers are already quoted in the body of this 
memoir, to which may be added the following : — 
“ On the Relation of the Silurian and Metamorphic Rocks of the South of Norway.’ 
Edinb. New Phil. Journ. 1856, iii. p. 79. 
“ On the Causes producing Foliation in Rocks.” Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. 1855, 
xl. p. 166. 
“ On the So-called Primitive Formation of the South Coast of Norway.” Quart. 
Journ. Geol. Soc., 1858, xiv. 
“ On the Geology of South America.” Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. 1860. 
“ On the application of the Rlowpipe to the Quantitative Determination of certain 
Minerals” — a series of papers in the “ Chemical News.” 
“ Researches in British Mineralogy.” Phil. Mag., 1867 and 1868. 
Mr. Forbes devoted himself almost entirely to his professional 
and literary pursuits, and took but little physical exercise, and it is 
to be feai'ed that his too sedentary habits, together with the sad 
domestic loss he had recently suffered, depressed his spirits and 
broke up a Constitution already to some extent enfeebled by recur- 
rent fever caught in South America, and so accelerated his end. 
His loss is keenly feit by those friends who really knew his genial 
and social character ; whilst his scientific associates, who had hoped 
for the further prosecution and publication of his researches and 
observations on rocks and minerals will all reglet his vacant place in 
their midst. 
Removed from us at so early a period in his career, when his future 
promised a devotion to his favourite studies and the arrangement 
of the scientific notes he had so earnestly collected, some of which 
it is hoped may still be rendered available. although we fear, with 
regard to a large proportion, the mind of the master whose hand 
penned them could alone render them useful for scientific purposes. 
Endowed with great mental activity, although partly impaired of 
late by the state of his health, he seems to have acted on the motto 
of the great Swedish naturalist — 
“NuLLA DIES SINE LINEA.” 
J. M. 
