Life of William MaeGillivray, LL.D. By William MacGillivray. (John Murray.
10s. 6d. net.)—Dr. MacGillivray, son of an officer in the Cameron Highlanders who was killed at Corunna, spent his early years in Harris, where his uncles were breeders of Highland cattle. At the age of twelve he went to Aberdeen University ; it marks a notable change when we are told that the average age at entrance is now nineteen. He was a keen student of natural history, industrious in the study, but with a keen love of the field,
so keen, indeed, That it made continuous employment in museums and the like somewhat irksome to him. He was specially interested in birds. In 1830 he began to work with Audubon, to whom he furnished the scientific element with which that master observer of bird-life was not adequately furnished. The publication of Audubon's "Ornithological Biographies," begun in 1831, was carried on down to 1839. The completion was celebrated by a Highland tour, in which the two collaborators joined. It is pleasant to find that they were mutually appreciative of help rendered. In 1841 MacGillivray was appointed to the Professorship of Natural History in Marischal College, Aber- deen. It is a note of the time that the subjects to be treated from his Chair were zoology, geology, and botany. He had studied them ail, and indeed published manuals on them ; but in these days of specialising the range of subject seems even ludicrously large. He held the Professorship for eleven years, dying on September 8th, 1852, a little more than a month after the publication of the fifth and completing volume of his " History of British Birds." His wife had died seven months earlier. Not the least interesting part of the memoir is to be found in extracts from the journal of a journey made in early life from Aberdeen to London. He walked all the way (8374 miles),-spent a week in London, visiting the British Museum, &c., and returned to Aberdeen by steamer. The journey occupied two months, and cost £10. Some of the entries are very " young," as when at the cottage where Burns was born ho kneels down on the floor with his hat off and pours out half a mutchkin of whisky to the memory of the immortal bard. But we see all through the strong will and indefatigable industry of the enthusiastic student. The volume, a tribute of admiration from a "namesake," and greatly increased in value by a contribution from Professor J. A. Thomson, is adorned with some beautiful pictures of birds reproduced from MacGillivray's own drawings, and contains some characteristic extracts from his writings.
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