30 
MEMOIR OF 
superintendent of the museum of natural his- 
tory, which it was proposed should be collected 
by the society, in addition to their intended 
cabinet of Scottish antiquities. In 1782, he pub- 
lished an account of the institution and progress 
of the Society, which he continued and extended 
to 1784. It was the intention of Mr Smellie to 
have delivered a course of lectures on natural 
history to this society ; but the proposal excited 
the jealousy of Dr Walker, the professor of 
natural history in the University, and the idea 
was in consequence abandoned. The materials 
were, however, subsequently made use of in the 
Philosophy of Natural History. 
Mr Smellie then engaged in a general system 
of natural history ; but this was also abandoned 
from want of pecuniary resources for its publica- 
tion. As exhibiting a specimen of the progress 
in the study of Natural History which he had 
made, we print a syllabus of this work as drawn 
up by himself. 
I. HISTORY OF THE EARTH. 
1. Of its figure — Its dimensions — Its motions 
— Its connection with the moon — Its relations to 
the other planets in the solar system, &c. 
2. Of the earth’s surface — Its divisions into 
land and water — Its continents — Islands, moun- 
tains, and plains — Rivers and lakes — Seas — 
General productions, &c. 
3. Of the earth’s atmosphere-— General proper- 
