Dr WILLIAM, an eminent naturalist, was born at Old Aberdeen in 1796. Amid great poverty, he was enabled to enter King's College, in his native town, and after taking the degree of A.M., he studied medicine, first at Aberdeen and afterwards at Edinburgh. His native bias, however, for natural history made him forego all intention of adopting the medical profession, and accordingly he never graduated as M.D. In 1823 he was appointed assistant to the regius professor of natural history, and regius keeper of the museum of the Edinburgh University. This appointment he resigned in 1831 for the office of conservator of the museum of the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh. This work, together with translating, editing, delivering lectures, and contributing to scientific journals, was congenial to Macgillivray, since it introduced him to many naturalists, and afforded a continual facility for his favourite studies. In 1841 his scholarship, unsupported by any external influence, raised him to the chair of natural history in Marischal College, Aberdeen. There his excellence as a teacher, and his gentle and unassuming conduct, soon rendered him popular. During the whole of his life, his body, not less than his mind, had been active in the pursuit of knowledge; and it was while exploring the central region of the Grampians, in 1850, that he caught the disorder that ultimately proved fatal. After a lingering illness, during which he never ceased to work, he died in September 1852. The most popular of Dr Macgillivray's numerous works are the following:—A History of British Birds, in 5 vols. 8vo, 1857-1852; A Manual of British Ornithology, in 2 vols. 12mo, 1840-1841, reprinted in 1846; The Flowering Plants and Ferns of Great Britain and Ireland, 8vo, eighth edition, 1852; and a posthumous work, The Natural History of Deeside and Braemar, 1856, the copyright of which was bought by Prince Albert. He also contributed largely to the Transactions of the Wernerian Natural History Society, to the Edinburgh Philosophical Journal, to the Edin-