the conclusion that, since the bed of slate-clay, which contains the Septarium, presented no marks of the action of heat, the Septarium contained could never have been exposed to its influence." Again-" If the regular form of the basalt induced Dr Hutton to conclude that they furnished proofs of the action of a central heat,* he would have found considerable difficulty in applying his heat to those inclosed masses of basalt, without fusing the bed of tuff which surrounds them. He who has the boldness to build a theory of the earth, without a knowledge of the natural history of rocks, will daily meet with facts to puzzle and mortify him.”

About a month after his paper on "The Mineralogy of St Andrews" was read to the Wernerian, Mr Fleming was married (March 1813) to Miss Melville Christie, second daughter of Andrew Christie, Esq., banker, Cupar. In Miss Christie he had found one of kindred tastes, one who became an help-meet not only in the domestic circle, but in ministerial work and in scientific studies. The valuable aid rendered to him by Mrs Fleming in his favourite science, is acknowledged in the Preface to the Philosophy of Zoology. "The plates which have been added to the present work, consist of figures relating exclusively to British animals. They are not gaudy, but they are correct delineations from nature, for which the writer is indebted to the pencil of his wife." This, however, is saying too little in reference to these illustrations. They exhibit true artistic taste, correctness of eye, and ready skill of hand.†

Mr Fleming's mineralogical papers, and his contributions in natural history to the Proceedings of the Wernerian Society, had made him well known to the leading minds of his native

* He ever regarded with suspicion the cut and dry explanation of what must be at the centre of the earth. Long after this, when, during one of his excursions with his New College students, he had passed from the "terrible" boulder-clay, to tell of the order of underlying strata, his thoughts were broken in upon, during a pause in the conversation, by a young ecclesiastical hopeful, who abruptly asked, "But, Doctor, what is at the centre of all?" "I don't know, sir," the Professor answered dryly, "for I was never there!"

† See, for example, Plate II. and Plate III., Fig. 2d. The great artistic talents exhibited in these are far more fully shewn in other works which I have been permitted to examine. Dr Fleming had greatly desired a copy of Müller's magnificent Zoologia Danica and his Entomostraca. The works, however, were too expensive for his means at that time. They were borrowed, and Mrs Fleming copied not only every word of the text, but all the engravings also, and this in such a style of drawing and colouring as to surpass the original.

country. He was already a member of the Antiquarian Society-in 1813 the University of St Andrews conferred upon him the degree of D.D.; and in January 1814, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. At that time a recommendation by three members was needed. In Dr Fleming's case the recommendation was signed by three even then famous-Professors Jameson and Playfair, and Dr, now Sir David Brewster. This Society, of which he continued a distinguished member till his death, and whose Proceedings are enriched by several of his original papers, has had, and continues to have, a beneficial influence on the promotion of Scottish literature and science. On its role stand the names of most of the Scotchmen who have distinguished themselves in either of the departments with the literature of which it has mainly to do.* The meeting that chose Dr Fleming also elected Mr Patrick Neill, on the recommendation of Sir George Mackenzie, Professor Dugald Stewart, Professor Jameson, and Alexander Keith, Esq. Patrick Neill, Patrick Neill, "printer and philosopher," had long been an intimate friend of Dr Fleming, and continued to be so till his death. He was an able, enthusiastic, devoted, and successful naturalist, and ever cherished a profound admiration for all whom he regarded as true students of natural history. His voluminous correspondence with Dr Fleming is characterised by strong good sense, geniality, frankness, humour, and, withal, such a taste for literary and scientific gossip, as makes his letters graphic pictures of the circles in which he moved. They give us sunny glimpses, too,

* Royal Society :-Formed 1731, as the Medical Society, and presided over by Dr Alexander Monro. At the request of Professor Maclaurin and others, enlarged as the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh, 1739. Its meetings, interrupted by the national political troubles, were resumed after them, Dr Alex. Monro (secundus) and David Hume, Secretaries. At the request of Principal Robertson it was put on a broader basis still, and in 1782 was constituted under Royal Charter "The Royal Society of Edinburgh." At its first meetings, Black, Hutton, Playfair, Walker, Robison, Gregory, Dugald Stewart, &c., took an active part. When Dr Fleming was elected, the eminent mineralogist Sir James Hall was President; Professor Playfair, Secretary; and Thomas Allan, one of the ablest mineralogists of his day, Keeper of the Museum. Allan's paper, read in 1811, on "The Rocks in the Vicinity of Edinburgh," may even yet be studied with profit.

into his garden at Canonmills. We seem to see his quaintlooking figure watching there his zoological favourites for the time, experimenting in new methods of grafting and budding, or carefully bending over the rare wildflower which his friend Fleming had picked up a few months before in his wanderings about Flisk. Or, after a meeting of the Royal Society, he might be seen in his happiest mood at his own table, for Jameson, and Brewster, and Allan, had walked home with him. The tie between him and Fleming, as revealed in their correspondence, was peculiarly beautiful. Having the highest estimate of his friend's talents, he seemed to live for years mainly seeking to give them direction. Living in the capital, he kept the young minister of Flisk acquainted with everything of interest in natural history. Every bit of scientific gossip was duly chronicled, all the coterie jealousies were described, the opinions held by men of science regarding the last contribution from Flisk, were set down, and the freshest information in science gathered up for behoof of his beloved friend Fleming. He was the first to intimate his election as F.R.S.E., and Dr F. wrote: "Many thanks for letting me know the honours I have obtained. I have got even more than I deserve. I am going to the Presbytery just now, and expect a good deal of quizzing." Neill fully appreciated his ability, and seemed resolved to keep him at work. Letter after letter urged him to exertion in one department and another, as if the worthy printer felt that in his friend's successes he himself triumphed. And he did not urge in vain. Numerous notes reached him from the Fife Manse

reporting progress :

"1819. I have been expecting a proof of the last part of the Rail paper. Fearing you may have too much spare room in the journal, I send you a paper for insertion this month. By doing so the Professor and Dr Brewster will oblige me. I have sent a review in which Dr Leach gets a few gentle hits." Again, "I have now finished my view of Instinct. I have been able to give the subject that degree of illustration which has rendered it tolerably clear to me. I say tolerably clear, for it is difficult to comprehend the movements of the vital principle or of its attribute mind. But it is practicable to get a knowledge of its conditions and varieties. I am coming slowly on with the book, although far from idle." "If you could spare a plate or two, I could give you for the Wernerian a paper on Scottish Ani

mals, extending to fourteen or fifteen pages, and describing a few new species." "1814. I have this moment received another specimen of the Shad (Clupea Alosa), which I hasten to transmit for your examination. It is probably the first of its kind found in Scotland, for although Pennant says that the White Bait is found off Aberdeen, he acknowledges that he never heard of the full grown fish." Again, "I have lately been making a catalogue of the animals of Scotland, beginning with the Mammalia, and among extinct quadrupeds the Beaver is usually mentioned, but the last place it haunted is not mentioned in any book in my possession. If my memory serves me, it was in the Ness in Inverness-shire, and known in the Celtic by a name signifying the animal with the scaly tail. The surviving quadrupeds have been stated by Pennant at forty-five, and by Dr Walker at forty-five; now I think I know about fifty-four, besides six extinct ones." Again, “In the box which I sent to Leach there was a parcel of fossil shells for Sowerby. These have been faithfully returned. In the last number of his Mineral Conchology he has figured five of my shells under a new genus which he has formed-Productus, and no less than one of the species he has termed P. Flemingii. I could have dispensed with the compliment; it sounds horribly." "The paper on the Orthoceratites will soon be ready. I intend to send to the Wernerian the paper on the Redhead. Some parts of it will probably be considered heterodox. My ride to Alloa convinced me of the accuracy of my opinion regarding the structure of the Ochils, and enabled me to detect several errors into which Mackenzie had fallen." "1815. We seldom, I believe, give an advice to our friends without being satisfied that it will be well with ourselves. I grant you that I have often devised similar plans, and often chalked out a magnum opus. I will frankly tell you, mine is to be the Zoology of Britain, including the present race of animals, and those which have become extinct. The plan is formed, and, though vast, is undertaken in early life. To this magazine I am daily adding some fact, and ere long you will see some proof of activity."

The paper "On the Mineralogy of the Redhead in Angusshire," was sent to the Wernerian Society in 1815. It is one of Dr Fleming's ablest contributions to mineralogy, bearing, as it does, evidences of great talent in the description of rocks in situ, discussing the prevailing theories regarding the remarkable caves which are found above the present highest tide-level, specifying the different minerals found, noticing the characteristic fossils in some of the rocks, and hazarding an explanation of the mode of formation of agate balls in beds of amygdaloid, His inductions are drawn from his own observations; and

b

everything but facts which had come under his own notice, is rigidly excluded from them. The result is, that several very difficult questions are broached in this paper, in a way which shews that his mind was already made up on them. These soon afterwards have definite expression given to them; they pass into his scientific creed, and he clings to them through life with the same firmness as he did to purely moral convictions. The writer was much struck with this when he one day dropped in to listen to one of his New College lectures. He was speaking of the presence of reniform ironstone in clay-slate, and flint modules in chalk beds; and, acquainted with " The Mineralogy of the Redhead," the thought instantly occurred, 'this is the same point of view as that indicated in 1815. More than thirty years' earnest work and observation have not revealed to him any facts to shake his confidence in the explanation offered at that time to the Wernerian.'

"The structure," he then said, "of this bed of amygdaloid, leads to the conclusion, that while a general disposition to stratification prevailed in the aqueous menstruum, there existed a number of partial spheres of aggregation. Thus, while one portion of the fluid was depositing grains of cal· careous spar and quartz, and enclosing these with wacke, claystone, or felspar; another portion was depositing basalt, clinkstone, and greenstone, together with nodules of flint, jasper, and calcedony, in the form of agate balls. . . . These facts, in the history of agate balls, prove their simultaneous formation with the rock in which they are enclosed."

But this stedfastness to old views never made him indifferent to new facts. These were welcomed by him in the spirit of a true philosopher, and were permitted to modify or even to reject cherished former views.

Reference has been made to the eminent conchologist, Sowerby, in the extracts given above from his letters to Neill. On receipt of specimens from Dr Fleming, Mr Sowerby wrote, "I feel highly gratified at your ardour and zeal, so promptly expressed by sending such tender rarities so far. Your kind friend, the Rev. Mr Lambert, of Trinity College, talked of recommending me to your favour. He has great zeal." Again—

My Dear Sir,-It gave me much pleasure to receive, by your favour, the History of Rutherglen. I think you might add much to Ure's History. I anticipate your kind intention of sending me some rarities. When you