dorsal side are full half the distance between them nearer the aperture than they are on the ventral side.

The probable length of this Orthoceras judging from several imperfect specimens which I believe to belong to the species is from one foot and a half to two feet.

The surface exhibits some indistinct flat longitudinal ridges, each about one third of a line wide and half a line distant from each other.

Locality and Formation.-Pauquettes Rapids, Ottawa River, Black River limestone.

Collector.-Sir W. E. Logan.

ORTHOCERAS RAPAX.

N. s.

Description.-Large, section circular, septa distant a little less than one fourth of an inch where the diameter is between five and six inches. Siphuncle large, marginal very nearly in contact with the shell on the ventral side. The rate of tapering appears to be about one inch and a half to the foot. The depth of the chamber of habitation is about one half greater than the width of the aper

ture.

Of this species we have portions of two individuals. One is a fragment of the oral extremity entirely deprived of the shell, and exhibiting a good cast of the interior of the chamber of habitation. The following are the dimensions. Length fourteen inches; diameter at aperture six and a half inches; at fourteen inches from aperture, four and three fourths inches; diameter of siphuncle one inch and three fourths at the broken or smaller end of the specimen; the first twenty one septa occupy a length of four inches and seven eighths.

The second specimen is fifteen inches and a half in length, and tapers from six inches to four as nearly as can be determined. In the first five inches of the smaller extremity there are twenty septa; in the next inch five; in the next inch and a half twelve, and in the remainder from four to seven in the inch.

The distance of the septa is thus variable in the same specimen, but judging from the general appearance of the two examined, my present impression is that the average distance must be from two and a half lines to three lines, or a little less than one fourth of an inch at a diameter of from four to six inches. The proportional distance of the septa to the diameter of the shell therefore would be about as twenty to ore.

This species clearly belongs to the same group with those which Professor Hall has figured under the name of Endoceras proteiforme, in the 1st Vol. of the Paleontology of New York. But on measuring the figures in that work it will be seen that the proportional distance of the septa to the diameter of the shell in that species is between four and eight to one or six to one on an average while in this species it is twenty to one.

Locality and Formation.-The specimens were procured at Kingston in the Black River Limestone.

Collector. The specimens were collected by Col. Gordon, R.A. and by him presented to the Geological Survey.

ARTICLE XIV.-Notices of the Life of the late Professor George Wilson of Edinburgh.

The University of Edinburgh has lately suffered severely by the death of several of its most distinguished teachers. The department of science has been specially unfortunate. Since the death of the venerable Jamieson, Professor Forbes, whose fine genius and extensive erudition gave promise of an illustrious life, has been laid in the sepulchre of his fathers; and ere yet his country, and we may say the world of science, had ceased to mourn for this most gifted of her children, another equally honorable and beloved has been laid in the dust. The name of Professor George Wilson, whose recent appointment as Regius Director of the Industrial Muscum of Scotland and to the professorship of Technology in the University of Edinburgh was hailed with so much satisfaction by all who had any acquaintance either with his personal character or numerous contributions to literature and science, will we are sure be held in lasting and affectionate remembrance.

The most complete notice of his life and works which we have yet seen is that contained in the February number of the North British Review. The article is preceded by a list of no less than sixty eight of his writings. They comprise original papers on chemistry, biographical sketches of men eminent in science, several contributions to popular and scientific literature with four poems published in Blackwood's Magazine. The ability, research, CAN. NAT. VOL. V.

2

and true genius which all those writings display, will ever give the name of George Wilson a high place among the illustrious We are sure it will be grateful to those of our readers

dead who

may not have access to other sources of information to be ut in possession of the following particulars of his history. Dr. Wilson was born in Edinburgh, on 21st February 1818; and was thus, at his death, in the forty-first year of his age. "His parents were highly respectable, though not in such an

elevated station as to diminish the credit due to his own exertions in attaining the position which he ultimately reached; but it deserves to be noticed, that he may be included in the number of distinguished men who have been in a great degree indebted for the development of their talents to the maternal character and influence."

His father, Mr. Archibald Wilson, was a wine merchant in Edinburgh, and died about sixteen years ago. His mother, Janet Aitken, who is still living, was the youngest daughter of a landsurveyor in Greenock. She was a lady of great intelligence and piety, and she devoted much attention to the education of her children. There were eleven of the family; but of these only three now remain,-a son, Dr. Daniel Wilson, the well-known author of "The Prehistoric Annals of Scotland," at present Professor of English Literature and History in the University of Toronto, and two daughters. From his childhood, George was distinguished by many noble qualities-great truthfulness, selfsacrifice, delicate sense of honour, and generous feelings. Studious, and with a marked love for books, he gave early promise of great mental ability.

In 1822 he commenced his studies in a private school, and in 1828 he entered as a pupil of the High School, under Mr. Benjamin Mackay, an able classical teacher. He was always among the first five in the class, and was remarkable for his general knowledge-a quality which was exhibited during life, and which seemed afterwards to fit him specially for the situation he occupied in the University. So warm were his affections, and such his power of attracting others, that from his boyhood onwards no one was more generally beloved. While at school, in 1828-29, he and his brothers formed among their companions a "Juvenile Society for the Advancement of Knowledge." They met once a week in his father's house, when papers were read on natural

history, mechanics, astronomy, etc. Minutes of their proceedings were kept by his brother Daniel. His mother presided over the youthful assembly, and usually wound up the evening by giving a verse from Proverbs.

Wilson remained at the High School until he was fifteen. On leaving it he selected Medicine as his object of study, and commenced by becoming an apprentice in the laboratory of the Royal Infirmary, where he remained for four years. The suffering and distress which he witnessed during this period, made an indelible impression on his very sensitive nature, and had a saddening effect on his mind. Many are the stories which might be told illustrative of his sympathy with the patients, and his eager desire to relieve them.

He entered the University of Edinburgh in 1884, passed as surgeon in 1838, took his degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1839, and wrote a thesis "On the Certain Existence of Haloid Salts of the Electro Negative Metals in Solution." After taking his degree, chemistry became his favourite pursuit. He had studied the subject assiduously under Dr. Hope and Mr. Kenneth Kemp; and in 1836-37 he had been engaged for eighteen months as chemical assistant in Dr. Christison's laboratory, which was at that time the best school of analytical chemistry in the University. His first lectures on chemistry were given to private audiences, in the drawing-room of his father's house, in 1837. In a MS. journal kept by him, we find the following entries: "September 20th, 1838"-"I meet with scarcely one lady in ten or fifty, who has sufficiently cultivated her natural intellectual powers." ... "This winter shall see me do my utmost to suggest an improvement among my own small circle."

"May 1839. Following out the proposal to amend the subjects of ladies' conversation and study, I assembled some of them in my father's house, and delivered a course of prelections on chemistry, especially the chemistry of nature. This was in the winter of 1837-38, so that I was then not nineteen. The majority of my audience were older than myself by a year or two. I was greatly praised and encouraged, most kindly listened to, and assisted in many ways, especially by J. M'G., a generous, unselfish, happy fellow, without whose aid I should have come on very poorly. This course, which began in October, was first interrupted by the illness of my sister, and afterwards by the mournful indis

position of my cousin C.; so that only ten or twelve lectures were given.

Subsequently to this Dr. Wilson went to London, and entered the laboratory of University College, under the superintendence of Professor Graham, now Master of the Mint. There, with Dr. Lyon Playfair, Mr. James Young of Glasgow, Dr. Livingstone, the African traveller, and other zealous students, he carried on his chemical pursuits for a period of six months.

He began to lecture publicly on chemistry in Edinburgh in 1840. About this time, however, his health began to suffer, apparently in consequence of excessive exertion during a pedestrian excursion in the Highlands with a cousin. His first course of lectures was arranged when he was confined to bed, and he was scarcely convalescent when he commenced the session of November, 1840. His health continued broken after this. An attack of rheumatism was followed by disease of the ankle-joint, which ultimately called for amputation. This was performed in January 1843, by his friend, and afterwards his colleague, Professor Syme. Amputation seemed to offer the only hope of relief, and Mr. Syme proposed disarticulation. Accordingly, he performed this operation; and as the articulating surfaces of the joint were everywhere divested of cartilage, rough and carious, instead of removing the malleolar projections separately, he exposed the bone sufficiently to saw off both together, with a thin lamina of the tibia connecting them. This was the first instance in which Professor Syme amputated through the ankle-joint for disease of the joint. It is therefore interesting in the annals of surgery. The case proceeded favourably. The feelings which Dr. Wilson experienced previous to the operation, and during its performance, are graphically portrayed by him in a letter on "the Anæsthetics of Surgery," which he addressed to Professor Simpson, and which is published in Simpson's Obstetric Works, edited by Drs. Priestley and Storrer, Vol. II., p. 796. He contrasts the condition of patients in his day, before the use of chloroform, with their state at the present time:

"Several years ago," he says, "I was required to prepare, on very short warning, for the loss of a limb by amputation. A painful disease, which for a time had seemed likely to yield to the remedies employed, suddenly became greatly aggravated, and I