208 THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 
with Robert Hunt, Keeper of jlining Records ; Lyon Playfair, 
the chemist (afterwards Lord Playfair) ; John PhilHps, Professor 
of Geology at Trinity College, Dublin ; and Edward Forbes, 
the natui-alist, his colleagues in the Geological Survey. 
The new appointment and its relation to his outstanding 
work are discussed in the following : 
To Sir James Boss 
The object [of the Geological Survey] is to have the con- 
nection between the plants and the geological formation 
they occupy investigated, and the Fossil plants arranged 
as they are collected. The lirst object will require my 
visiting the ground they are surveying once or twice a year, 
probably with Sir H. De la Beche and Prof. Forbes (who 
are the Geologist and Palaeontologist to the Survey), and the 
arrangement of my observations for publication, as well as 
the directing what vegetables should be gathered for analysis. 
The duties will leave me more than enough of time to carry 
on my Flora as fast as the plates can possibly appear, but 
I do not know what the Admiralty will say to my taking the 
duty. My work has in many ways cost me already nearly 
£100, and I beheve I have never made 6d. by it and never 
shall. If the new duty were to interfere with my Flora, 
or were my salary so good as to make me independent 
of the Admralty, I should not think about drawing any 
further Admiralty pay, but as that is not the case and as 
I have never made a farthing by my Botany work, I think 
of making a push for the continuance of my pay when I 
enter upon my new duties. I should feel very much obliged 
for your opinion of how their Lordships are likely to regard 
my views. As the new appointment is a most honorable 
one, and one worth to me twice the income it offers, I have 
made up my mind to accept it at all hazards, even if it 
should entail the leaving the Service. Had I gained the 
Edinburgh Chair I would have gone on with my Flora on 
my own resources and have given up the Admiralty pay 
without waiting to be asked, as a point of honor. And 
and Physiology of the Vertebrates, 1866-8, -was accepted by other zoologists. His 
bitterness against any possible scientific rival and his disingenuous attitude 
towards Darwin and his \Aork ended by leaving him isolated in the scientific 
world. 
