Front cover The Edinburgh Geologist

Magazine of the Edinburgh Geological Society Issue No 46 Autumn 2009 The Edinburgh Geologist Issue 46 Autumn 2009

Cover Illustration Salisbury Crags, a fine example of Edinburgh’s geology (Detail from British Geological Survey photograph number P001171)

Acknowledgements Production of The Edinburgh Geologist is supported by grants from the Peach and Horne Memorial Fund and the Syme Bequest.

Published October 2009 by The Edinburgh Geological Society (Charity registered in Scotland number SC008911) www.edinburghgeolsoc.org

Copy date for next issue, March 2010

Editors Phil Stone Bob McIntosh [email protected] [email protected]

British Geological Survey Murchison House West Mains Road Edinburgh EH9 3LA

ISSN 0265-7244 Price £2 net running head

Contents

2 Editorial ramble Spanish ammonites, geology by penguin, and Charles Darwin — the Edinburgh connection

11 Filling the gaps

12 Darwin and Edinburgh

21 Another Charles Darwin at the University of Edinburgh and his father’s links with James Hutton

25 A rock for winter Salt

26 Fishy Fornication Sex in the Devonian

27 So were we conned Louis Agassiz

29 Darwin on the fringe . . . accompanied by Phil Stone

31 Stop press A reveiw of Creation

32 Book review Putting Queensland on the map: the life of Robert Logan Jack, geologist and explorer

1 editorial

Spanish ammonites, geology by penguin, and Charles Darwin — the Edinburgh connection (with a thought on the extinction of dinosaurs).

An editorial ramble by Phil Stone

For Edinburgh Geologist to the CV10 follows a coast-parallel thrive — survive even — there is valley through imposing crags of a need for copy. That means that Cretaceous limestone and allows someone, somewhere, needs to for a rather more relaxed journey. It be thinking now about what they leads, eventually, to San Mateo — or are going to contribute to the next Sant Mateu as the local signposts will issue. Stumped for ideas? Well, here have it. We (my wife and I) stopped are a couple of suggestions that can for a wander-about and a coffee, surely prove inspirational — and an and whilst enjoying the latter and the illustration that once you start there ambience of the Plaza Mayor I was is no knowing to where you might intrigued by a small, faded sign that ramble off. pointed down a side street: it said “Museo Paleontológico”. Could you Whilst on holiday we must all have have resisted the invitation? at some time or another come across something unexpected, curious or A short walk along Arrabel de downright bizarre with a geological Barcelona brings you to the connection. So let’s hear about it and museum — which masquerades as a perhaps stimulate a few more visits. I private house. The collection therein came across ‘The finest collection of is the life’s work and passion of Señor ammonites in Spain’ quite by chance Juan Cano Forner, who has had to in the small dusty town of San Mateo, move out of the house to make room about 50 km NNE of Castellón de la for his fossils and now lives next door. Plana, itself on Spain’s Mediterranean This you learn from the note pinned coast north of Valencia. Heading to the museum door, number 23, north from Castellon most traffic which invites you to enquire about follows the coastal routes, the A7 visiting at number 25. There we motorway or the busy N340. But learnt that Señor Forner was not at inland from the coastal mountains home but might be back later. So,

2 editorial back to the Plaza Mayor for more Could it have been a granite sett coffee and then a successful return from Galloway? Anyway, back to the to the Museo Paleontológico, where museums. Señor Forner had indeed returned and let us in. And what a collection So what is your favourite exhibit? I he had: the walls festooned with have a special fondness for a good massive ammonites, display cases old-fashioned showcase in The stuffed with snails and echinoids. It Natural History Museum, London, up was a wonderful assemblage of the on the gallery above the main hall, local Cretaceous fauna, augmented south-east corner. Therein you can by all sorts of material from further see some of the rocks dragged unto afield, some the result of his own death by Scott’s ill-fated polar party collecting and some acquired by in 1912, but it’s not these poignant exchanges. Idiosyncratic yes, but fragments that really grabbed my fascinating and well worth a visit, attention. Alongside them is a the collection certainly aspired to its collection of coarse gravel brought civic slogan — ‘The finest collection of back by the James Clark Ross, ammonites in Spain’. Erebus & Terror Antarctic Expedition, 1839–1843. When deep in the ice- Then again, quite apart from the bound Weddell Sea the expedition unexpected finds, we all visit more caught and killed an emperor conventional museums. Many of penguin — ‘taken on sea-ice’ as the these have been sanitised over the euphemistic description goes — and past few years and now feature the gravel was found in the poor glittering displays of interactive bird’s gizzard. Nothing remarkable ‘activities’, but I’m sure that I’m about that you might think, except not alone in preferring the weird that the emperor penguin was known and wonderful ‘stuff’ that can still to live on the ice to the south. At be found in forgotten corners. It’s the time there was little knowledge not just in museums that you come of a southern continent. Isolated across geological exotica either. I headlands and volcanic islands had have a vague memory of a display been sighted but there was still in Hopetoun House that features a uncertainty as to whether or not an lump of rock thrown at a military extensive continent existed. Yet here, scion of the family during a riot in inside a penguin, were rock samples Dublin. Have I got that right? Has of a clearly terrestrial nature — granite anyone else seen it? Please confirm. and gneiss from the Antarctic

3 editorial landmass and sure proof that within it I recommend to you Richard there were outcrops of a wide range Fortey’s book ‘Dry Store Room of ‘basement’ rock types. Was this No.1’, subtitled ‘The Secret Life of the original remote sampling exercise the Natural History Museum’. Now in geology? Long may that exhibit there’s another idea — recommend a survive the attention of the design good read. consultants. But let’s get back to Charles Darwin. It is a nice, topical touch in this year It will not have escaped your notice of Darwin anniversaries that the that this year, 2009, there are being penguin was caught and cut up by celebrated a couple of Charles Robert McCormick, then surgeon Darwin anniversaries: he was born on on HMS Erebus but previously, at 12 February 1809, and his seminal the start of her voyage in 1831, work ‘On the Origin of Species by surgeon on HMS Beagle. McCormick means of Natural Selection’ was would have sailed on the Beagle published on 24 November 1859. It’s with the expectation that normal a fair bet that if you asked anyone, naval practice would apply and that anywhere, to name a few famous he would be responsible for the scientists, Charles Darwin is likely ship’s natural history collections. to be one of those cited. But even Feeling rather upstaged by Darwin, though 2009 marks 150 years since he had left the Beagle in Brazil publication of The Origin of Species, perhaps thereby contributing, controversy continues with various albeit inadvertently, to Darwin’s creation myths or pseudo-scientific success. That affair notwithstanding, notions of ‘intelligent design’ still McCormick went on to have a long preferred by many of the world’s and distinguished naval career. To religious faithful to the Darwinian complete the small world of Victorian theory of evolution driven by natural science, McCormick’s assistant on selection. Perhaps it is the enduring Erebus was Joseph Hooker, later controversy that has ensured to become Britain’s pre-eminent Darwin’s scientific pre-eminence. The botanist and close confidante of Origin of Species by means of Natural Charles Darwin. Selection was certainly explosive stuff and Darwin, mindful of its likely Incidentally, whilst on the subject of impact and reception by the religious museums — and London’s Natural establishment, delayed publication History Museum in particular — may for years — until he was finally

4 editorial forced into action by the intimation Edinburgh at the time was something of similar views by Alfred Russel of a scientific maelstrom and Charles Wallace. would have been exposed to all manner of new ideas. He hated his Fundamental to Darwin’s ideas were medical studies but avidly attended his experiences during the round- other courses. Perhaps his most the-world voyage of HMS Beagle. important mentor was Robert Grant, The voyage changed his life — gone who introduced Darwin to the joys were thoughts of becoming a country of marine invertebrates — and to parson - and laid the foundation for early, Lamarckian ideas of evolution. the revolutionary work on evolution Darwin tried geology too, but with that has made him a household less success. He attended lectures name. Whilst the Beagle experiences given by Robert Jameson, Regius must have been the pre-eminent Professor of Natural History, but factor, what of other influences on found Jameson’s style not to his Darwin’s work? We know that he liking. He was later to write of studied for a while at Edinburgh Jameson’s lectures: ‘The sole effect University so can we claim him as one of our own? Dr Walter Stephen provides one view on this in his article ‘Darwin and Edinburgh’, which features elsewhere in this issue of Edinburgh Geologist.

Darwin came to Edinburgh in 1825 to study medicine. He and his elder brother Erasmus, also a medical student, took lodgings at 11 Lothian Street, a site now occupied by the back of the Royal Museum.

This plaque above the back door of the Royal Museum commemorates Charles Darwin’s two years in Edinburgh as a medical student.

5 editorial they produced on me was the important mentor, was instrumental determination never as long as I in getting him aboard the Beagle. lived to read a book on Geology, Once there, the Scottish influence or in any way to study the science’. was re-established through Charles Nevertheless, Darwin must have Lyell’s ‘The Principles of Geology’, benefited from Jameson’s field volume 1 of which was presented to excursions — even if the professor Darwin by Robert Fitzroy, captain of did propound a sedimentary origin the Beagle. Surprisingly, in view of his for Salisbury Crags — and the later reputation, during the Beagle’s course also gave him free access to voyage Fitzroy was a keen amateur Jameson’s extensive natural history geologist with quite advanced, non- museum collection. Then, working biblical views. Darwin received the in the museum, there was John second and third volumes of Lyell’s Edmonstone, a freed black slave ‘Principles’ during the course of the from whom Darwin took lessons in voyage, which lasted from December the stuffing of birds — an invaluable 1831 to October 1836. skill on the Beagle. Conversation with John (the Edmonstone derived The voyage of the Beagle is a from his owner in Guiana) brought well-known, seminal event in the to Charles the wonders of the South history of science. By Darwin’s American tropical forests and the own acknowledgement ‘The iniquities of the slave trade; he voyage of the Beagle has been by was later to encounter both at first far the most important event in hand — inspired by one and repelled my life, and has determined my by the other. whole career.’ However, he did not return to Britain a confirmed After two years Darwin fled from evolutionist and most of his first the horrors of medical studies and publications arising from the voyage settled on the less barbaric option were geological. His broad-ranging of a theology degree at Cambridge ‘Journal of Researches’ appeared University. Again, it was the extra- first, in 1839, but was then followed curricular courses that he enjoyed by ‘The structure and distribution most and his interest in geology of coral reefs’ (1842), ‘Geological was restored by John Henslow and observations on volcanic islands’ Adam Sedgwick: from the latter he (1842) and ‘Geological observations received valuable field instruction on South America’ (1846). The last whilst Henslow, Darwin’s most of these contained his description of

6 editorial the uplift of marine features, which Darwin enjoyed excellent weather in he had recorded on a vast scale in the Highlands but perhaps inevitably Patagonia, and had seen dramatically came to the wrong conclusion demonstrated before his very eyes in in Glen Roy. His account of the Chile during the 1835 Concepción ‘parallel roads’ as uplifted marine earthquake. Perhaps with these shorelines was published in the phenomena in mind, Darwin Philosophical Transactions of the returned to Scotland in the summer Royal Society of London, 1839; he of 1838 to study the ‘parallel roads’ of Glen Roy, travelling on a coastal steamer from London to Edinburgh. The parallel roads of Glen Roy, view On this trip, despite having been to the north. Charles Darwin visited racked by seasickness for the entire the area in the summer of 1838 and duration of the Beagle voyage, he thought the features to be uplifted ‘enjoyed the spectacle, wretch that marine shorelines, an interpretation I am, of two ladies and some small that he later sadly admitted as ‘one children quite sea sick, I being well’. long gigantic blunder’.

7 editorial would later refer to this as ‘one long was a real blockbuster, brilliantly gigantic blunder’. written if scientifically unsound, that championed transmutation of By the time the Glen Roy paper was species — evolution. It was actually published Darwin had married his the work of Robert Chambers, an cousin, Emma Wedgwood. He had Edinburgh journalist, publisher also read Thomas Malthus’s ‘Essay on and keen golfer, but contemporary the principle of population’ and this speculation even suggested Darwin critique of the limits on population himself as the author. The work growth provided the catalyst to was castigated by the scientific and his burgeoning ideas concerning religious establishments with the competition and selection in nature. author, whoever he was, damned From then on he filled notebooks and ridiculed. Adam Sedgwick with evolutionary speculation produced the ultimate scornful and evidence and in June 1842 put-down. The book, he said, was completed a 35 page outline of his so uninformed, so inaccurate, so evolutionary theory. Darwin knew contentious and so unsupported by he was dealing with intellectual fact, that it could have been written dynamite and the pressure began by a woman. Charles took the hint to tell. He became chronically sick and kept his head down for the next and increasingly withdrew from 14 years. But all the while he quietly society, yet maintained a prodigious accumulated an overwhelming body correspondence with all manner of of evidence to support what he had people, steadily amassing evidence started to call ‘natural selection’, and for his theory of evolution. He by 1857 he was discretely distributing created his own evidence too, to trusted friends chapters of a breeding pigeons, keeping bees and projected 3-volume magnum opus, experimenting with patterns of plant requesting comment and review. growth and distribution. The arrival of the fateful letter from Maybe he did have thoughts of Alfred Russel Wallace in 1858, and publishing but, if so, these were all that it provoked, is now well soon dashed by a bombshell from documented and the stuff of legend. Edinburgh. In November 1844, Darwin’s triumvirate of influential there appeared an anonymous friends — Thomas Huxley, Joseph book entitled ‘Vestiges of the Hooker and Charles Lyell (just to stress Natural History of Creation’. This the Scottish influence) — arranged for

8 editorial the joint presentation of papers by that was described by Darwin in a Darwin and Wallace at a meeting of letter to Charles Lyell: “I have just the Linnean Society in London on 1 read the Edinburgh, which without July 1858. Thereafter, Darwin worked doubt is by Owen. It is extremely frantically to reduce his 3 volumes malignant, clever and I fear will be to a shorter, popular account. ‘On very damaging”. Another problem the origin of species by means of came from Scotland in the shape natural selection’ was published on 24 of a claim by Patrick Matthew, a November 1959: it has never been landowner with a fruit-farming out of print since. estate near Dundee, that he had first proposed the idea of natural selection Was Wallace ripped-off? But for in an obscure 1831 article titled the intervention of Chambers he ‘On naval timber and arboriculture; may never have featured at all, with critical notes on authors who but he was certainly a remarkable have recently treated the subject of character. Lacking all of Darwin’s planting’. But as with Wallace’s paper, social and financial advantages a good idea unsupported by any he still made a name for himself, evidence was insufficient and history but as far as natural selection was has unequivocally favoured Darwin. concerned he also lacked something crucial that Darwin possessed in When it came to the scientific abundance — evidence. Wallace had discussion of Darwin’s ideas bad the same brilliant idea as Darwin but news once again came from had he published independently he Scotland. At the time, inheritance was would most probably have suffered thought of as a blending of parental the same fate as Chambers and characteristics and it was not long been battered into obscurity by the before Fleeming Jenkins, a Scottish religious establishment. In contrast, engineer and friend of Robert Louis Darwin’s ‘Origin’ provided an Stevenson, demonstrated that any overwhelming mass of unanswerable variation that developed would, on evidence — resistance was futile. That this model, be rapidly diluted and didn’t prevent it though and some of lost. The casual racism of Jenkins’ the most bitter came via Edinburgh. examples has perhaps tended to Richard Owen, the most eminent overshadow the accuracy of his comparative anatomist of the day, objection, which remained a problem published a critique of ‘Origin of for Darwinian evolution until resolved Species’ in The Edinburgh Review by the proper understanding of

9 editorial genetics. Worse came from Glasgow once all friendly vegetarians that University where the eminent contentedly co-habited with our physicist William Thomson (later to human ancestors and sailed with become Lord Kelvin) was Professor them on Noah’s Ark. As Chris of Natural Philosophy. Thomson’s Coplans notes, this maritime colossus calculations of the time it would have must clearly have been even bigger taken for the Earth to cool from an than we had imagined, but sadly for original molten ball showed that at the Creationists good old Darwin most 100 million years could have had got in first with a pre-emptive elapsed since its creation; not enough strike. When ‘Origin of Species’ was time for Darwinian evolution to first published Robert Fitzroy, who by work. This problem had to await the then had discovered serious religion, discovery of radioactivity — providing wrote a letter of protest to The Times both a heat source and a means of denouncing his former shipmate. In dating rocks — before Darwin was an unusually exasperated comment, vindicated. the mild-mannered Darwin responded ‘It is a pity he did not Not that scientific verification has add his theory of the extinction of meant an end to attacks on Darwin Mastadon etc from the door of the and all his work, and nowhere is this Ark being made too small’. currently more vehement than in another museum... Still, despite the unqualified success of the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Darwin’s evolutionary biology — now Kentucky. I’ve never been there but backed up by a vastly improved fossil have a kind of fearful fascination record and DNA analyses — we have with the place. If I should turn to admit that some of his geology was up, would I be seized at the door, a bit dodgy. For example, he took carted off and burnt at the stake for a lot of flack over the estimation of being a geologist? It was with great erosion rates that appeared in the interest therefore that I discovered first edition of ‘Origin’; they were in the Edinburgh Metro newspaper hastily revised in subsequent editions. for Friday 6 February (pages 16–17) Which leads neatly into my favourite a tourism article by Chris Coplans quotation, not by Darwin, but about describing a visit and giving some Darwin. It comes from a letter written idea of what can be found there. in 1846 by Leopold von Buch to Sir Most unexpected of all was the Roderick Murchison and has particular information that dinosaurs were resonance today, as the future role

10 filling the gaps of the British Geological Survey, Darwin, with all his remarkable Murchison’s pride and joy, is again vivacity of mind, is for me no debated: Geologist, only an able history maker of what nature as he believes has “A map is always a decisive criterion done, and what never she did... This of they who aspire to the rank of man could never make a tolerable geologist. Everyone who has not geological map.” Sic transit gloria compiled a map, wants the necessary mundi.  talent of combination. The spirited

Filling the gaps

Appropriately enough ‘Darwin Year’ of a neck, and joints inside the fin that has seen the discovery of some were adapted to support the animals remarkable fossils — all described weight. Still in April — a good month as ‘missing links’ — that would for fossils evidently — and also from undoubtedly have delighted Charles. northern Canada, came a fossil seal Late in 2008, CT scans of an early fish with webbed feet rather than flippers. fossil revealed ‘previously-overlooked This animal originated around the digit-like bones in its fin’; healines Palaeogene-Neogene boundary and along the lines of ‘Fossil Fish Fingers’ is the oldest seal ancestor yet found: abounded. Slightly earlier in 2008, a appropriately enough for its year of Devonian fish had been discovered discovery it was named Puijila darwini. in Latvia with tetrapod features about Last, but by no means least, was the its head. Then, in March 2009, a late September announcement of spectacular feathered dinosaur came the results of many years research on to light in China, followed closely by Ardipithicus ramidus, a 4.4 million- an ancestor of Trex that was much year-old hominid from Ethiopia. smaller than everyone’s favourite Summing-up, one of the leading monster. Perhaps best of all was April’s scientists involved claimed “This is not ‘fishibian’ from upper Devonian strata an ordinary fossil. It’s not a chimp. in the Canadian Arctic. This beast, It’s not a human. It shows us what Tiktaalik roseae, had a fish-like body we used to be.” So, three cheers for but a flat, crocodile-like head with the Darwin (and Thomas Huxley) — and a eyes positioned on top, the beginnings raspberry for Bishop Wilberforce. 

11 darwin and edinburgh

Darwin and Edinburgh

by Walter M Stephen

‘In the nineteenth century having all the higher qualities of even Charles Darwin would intellect combined and regulated by graduate from Cambridge the most perfect good taste, being University believing that the world not less perfect in his moral than in was six thousand years old, give or his intellectual nature. He was a man take.’ every way distinguished, respected, Stephen Baxter, in Revolutions in and beloved.” Sir James Hall (1761– the Earth (2003) 1832) was the first to demonstrate experimentally how limestone was metamorphosed into marble, while Hutton (1726–1797) was a doctor Can we believe this? And if we who had studied agriculture and do, how could Darwin have come taken up the practical applications through two years of the Edinburgh of chemistry, moving into geology in system of his time — still ‘a hotbed of 1768. genius’ — untouched by the currents of thought around him? They landed at Siccar Point and, in a splendid passage of descriptive In 1805 John Playfair described a prose, Playfair wrote: “On landing short journey by boat, carried out by at this point, we found that we three gentlemen of the Enlightenment. actually trode on the primeval rock. They were John Playfair, James Hutton Dr Hutton was highly pleased with and Sir James Hall and in 1788 they appearances that set in so clear a had sailed from Dunglass round the light the different foundations of the Berwickshire coast to Siccar Point. parts which compose the exterior Playfair’s monument on Calton Hill crust of the earth”… and proceeded is one of those which helped give to interpret the ‘palpable evidence’ Edinburgh its title of ‘Athens of that lay before them. the North’. As Professor of Natural Philosophy, Playfair (1748–1819) What was this palpable evidence that was: “cast in nature’s happiest mould, changed people’s view of the past acute, clear, comprehensive, and forever? In Silurian times mudstone

12 darwin and edinburgh and sandstone were laid down under bottom of the sea...” water. This must have taken a long “An epoch still more remote time. These rocks were then tilted, presented itself...” uplifted and partially worn away by “Revolutions still more remote wind and water. This also would have appeared in the distance of this taken a long time. In the Devonian extraordinary perspective...” (Old Red Sandstone) period the “The mind seemed to grow giddy by Silurian rocks were covered by looking so far into the abyss of time ...” water and more strata were laid Playfair’s conclusion was that: down. These included sandstone “How much further reason may and a conglomerate that contained sometimes go than imagination can fragments from the Silurian rocks. venture to follow.” Again, this process must have taken more than six days. The unconformity Hutton, of course, was not alone, separating the Silurian rocks below nor the first, in his speculation about from the Old Red Sandstone strata the very fundamental origins of the above represents a period of uplift planet. For him ‘the present was the and erosion, then submergence and key to the past’ — there was no need deposition: in short, a very long for supernatural explanations. His: time. The Old Red Sandstone was ‘We find no vestige of a beginning, horizontal and under water when its no prospect of an end.’ — was an sediments were accumulating. Now uncomfortable thought which many, it is slightly tilted and above sea level. at the time and later, have chosen to This tilting and uplift must also have misunderstand and which some have taken a long time. still not had the courage to accept. At the risk of appearing pedantic, I note Playfair was clearly moved by the that Hutton did not say: ‘There is no processes being revealed to him so beginning and no end’, but: ‘We find clearly: “We often said to ourselves, no vestige... no prospect...’ — a very What clearer evidence could we different kettle of fish. have had of the different formation of these rocks, and of the long interval Since that day there has been a which separated their formation; steady trickle of pilgrims to ‘Hutton’s had we actually seen them emerging Unconformity’, not least among from the bosom of the deep?... We them being Charles Lyell who, in felt ourselves carried back to the 1824, as a keen young geologist, was time when the schistus was still at the taken there by Sir James Hall. It was

13 darwin and edinburgh the first volume of Lyell’s Principles Edinburgh University, although of Geology (1830) that the young Playfair had died in 1819, there Darwin took with him on the Beagle would still have been a scientific and which he said opened his eyes to community who had known Playfair geology, repeatedly referring to it and and his campaigns on behalf of the two later volumes, which were Hutton, and who tacitly accepted sent out to him. the evidence and arguments for a very distant creation and a long, Hutton’s A Theory of the Earth of slow geological history. There was 1795 did not immediately command still, however, a kernel of prominent universal acceptance but it certainly diehards. Such were Cuvier in caused a ferment of ideas about France, Werner in Germany and Creation and the age of the Earth. Professor Jameson in Edinburgh, Many prominent ‘philosophers’ teaching the geology course, which retained some sort of belief in was ‘the largest course of its type in Biblical creation and catastrophic the world.’ interventions and vigorously counter- attacked. One such was Richard Charles Darwin (1809–1882) Kirwan, who was to become Life followed his elder brother Erasmus President of the Royal Irish Academy, to Edinburgh University in 1825, at President of the Dublin Library the age of sixteen, and spent two Society and Inspector-General of His academic sessions here as a medical Majesty’s Mines in Ireland. After his student. For his student days there death his personal copy of A Theory are three main sources: of the Earth was found with many of its pages uncut. He had written 1. His note-book, begun in March a whole book about Hutton’s ideas 1827, has survived; without troubling to familiarise himself 2. His Autobiography, published with them! ‘Kirwan knew Hutton was in 1876 — when he was wrong without even having to check.’ 67 — devotes six pages to his Edinburgh days; Hutton died in 1797 and was thus 3. J H Ashworth, Professor of spared much vilification, and having Zoology at Edinburgh, in 1935 to read Kirwan’s Geological Essays of gave a substantial paper on 1799. Playfair took up the campaign Charles Darwin as a Student in on behalf of Hutton and his ideas. Edinburgh, 1825–1827. By the time that Darwin came to

14 darwin and edinburgh

Darwin found the lectures Darwin. With zoology (rather than ‘intolerably dull’. ‘Dr Duncan’s geology) as a focus they investigated lectures on Materia Medica at 8 together the shores of the Forth at o’clock on a winter’s morning are Leith, Portobello, Joppa and (it is something fearful to remember.’ said) Dalmeny/Queensferry, but the ‘Dr’ (Monro) ‘made his lectures on nearest we find of thinking beyond human anatomy as dull as he was description and identification himself.’ On two occasions Darwin is a reported outburst by Grant was present at ‘very bad operations’ on Lamarck and his views on and ‘rushed away before they were evolution. Darwin listened in ‘silent completed.’ He considered that astonishment’ but does not seem to ‘there are no advantages and many have let it affect him. disadvantages in lectures compared with reading’. In the second year There is no doubt that Darwin was Robert Jameson, Professor of Natural a good student. He attended the History, which then included zoology classes, however dull. He took part and geology, was ‘incredibly dull.’ in cognate activities beyond the core ‘The sole effect they [Jameson’s curriculum. He kept a good note- lectures] produced on me was the book (‘perhaps slight, as judged by determination never as long as I modern standards’). Some writers lived to read a book on Geology, make much of his squeamishness or in any way to study the science.’ at operations, not realising that On the positive side, Darwin was part of a medicine course was elected first to the Plinian Natural learning not to be sickened by the History Society, then to its Council horrors of early nineteenth century (of five). He attended all but one of surgery. The same Darwin, when the nineteen meetings held during he was in Edinburgh, took lessons his time at Edinburgh and took part in taxidermy from a negro ex-slave. in discussion on four of the evenings. A good shot, when he was on the He communicated to the Society two Beagle voyage he hunted for food discoveries he had made. as well as shooting specimens, preserving them and sending them Dr Robert Grant (who became, in back to England. But the Edinburgh 1827, the first Professor of Zoology experience was not enjoyable for him in University College, London) was and he did not complete the course. Secretary of the Plinian Society He was fortunate to have a father and a considerable influence on understanding and wealthy enough

15 darwin and edinburgh to allow him to drop medicine at In the course that Darwin took in Edinburgh in favour of the more his second year there were about congenial BA course at Christ’s 100 lectures, five days a week, College, Cambridge, which would ‘conversations’ with the Professor probably lead to his taking orders in the Museum and excursions. and entering the Church of England, The ‘incredibly dull’ Jameson, as an ideal cover for a young man Professor of Natural History, covered interested in biology. mineralogy, zoology and geology. He also edited the Edinburgh There is a clear disparity Philosophical Journal and the New between Darwin’s recollections Philosophical Journal, and developed of his Edinburgh studies and the the extensive and important Natural experiences of his contemporaries. History Museum in the University. Darwin’s opinion of much of his Notable for: “the excellent state of course work was ‘dull, dull, dull’. preservation of its specimens and Other gifted students of the same their scientific arrangement and for its period did not necessarily agree. large collection of birds”, the entire Robert (later Sir Robert, successive museum collection ‘second only occupant of two medical chairs at to that of the British Museum’ was Edinburgh) Christison found that handed over to the new Government Monro: “gave a very clear, precise, Museum of Science and Art, later the complete course of lectures on Royal Scottish Museum and now the anatomy... and certainly I learned Royal Museum of Scotland, a year anatomy well under him.” Christison after his death. He attacked Hutton attended Jameson’s course in 1816, in print and before his students in the when: “Lectures were numerously field — Salisbury Crags. On Hutton’s attended in spite of a dry manner, death his specimen collection passed and although attendance on to the University Museum, where Natural History was not enforced it was not displayed and gradually for any University honour or for disappeared. any profession, the popularity of his subject, his earnestness as a lecturer, Edward Forbes took Professor his enthusiasm as an investigator, Jameson’s course in 1832 and and the great museum he had succeeded him as Professor in 1854. collected for illustrating his teaching, He found: ‘Jameson’s collection were together the causes of his wonderful, even palaeontologically’ success’.” and the illustrative material ‘very

16 darwin and edinburgh great’. He spoke of his Professor’s: experience behind him of working ‘enthusiastic zeal, his wonderful at something he did not enjoy. He acquaintance with scientific must have responded better to the literature’. More — “The value of relaxed English way, as opposed to professorial worth should chiefly the stern drive of the lean and hungry be estimated by the number and Scots. At Edinburgh he had lodged excellence of disciples. A large share in a top flat in Lothian Street; college of the best naturalists of the day life at Cambridge — with its gracious received their first instruction in the buildings, peaceful quadrangles science from Professor Jameson... and unctuous servitors — suited ‘a And where else in the British Empire, young man with easy manners and except here, has there been for the a cheerful disposition who could last half century a school of Natural ride and shoot.’ We hear little of his History?” Later, in the context of course work but can see developing Darwin’s suitability for the Beagle a Cambridge University network project, Desmond and Moore in which stood him well in later years. It Darwin (1991) rather patronisingly is illuminating to examine a series of concede that: ‘Jameson’s Edinburgh episodes, on either side of the Beagle course, as luck would have it, had voyage and spread over eleven years, catered for colonial travellers.’ Luck which others have described but do had nothing to do with it, Jameson’s not seem to have considered worth course was a vocational one aimed commenting on, but which I find very at equipping young men with the difficult to understand. wherewithal to make their way in the world furth of Scotland. Darwin was a favourite student of Adam Sedgwick, Professor of Geology A quarter of Darwin’s fellow medical at Cambridge University and President students at Edinburgh were English, of the Geological Society of London. unable or unwilling to attend In 1831 Sedgwick planned a visit Oxford or Cambridge for reasons to North Wales to clear up some of religion but welcome in a city stratigraphical problems of the region. where, with all its faults, the clergy Darwin ‘worked like a tiger at geology’ had mainly contrived to balance and was taken along as assistant and scientific thinking with religious pupil. The pair spent a week on principle. So why was Cambridge fieldwork, working separately during more congenial? Darwin was, of the day and pooling their information course, more mature: with the in the evenings, trying to clarify what

17 darwin and edinburgh had happened in the area before the practical experience must have been Old Red Sandstone was laid down. crucial to his new understanding. And what was his mentor, the Professor of Later, in South America, Darwin Geology at Cambridge and President came across the full expression of of the Geological Society of London, mountain glaciation — frost-shattered doing in 1831 when the pair of them arêtes, corries, roches moutonnées, were sorting out the day’s findings? U-shaped and hanging valleys, Did he know that the despised ribbon lakes, moraines, erratics, Jameson had already, in the 1820s, outwash and the rest. From his ‘expressed the view in his lectures Journal we can trace the beginnings that glaciers had once existed in of some kind of commitment to Scotland’ (Land of Mountain and the concept of ‘deep time’, with a Flood: The Geology and Landforms couple of ‘eureka moments’, one of Scotland, McKirdy, Gordon and reminiscent of Playfair’s account of Crofts, 2007)? (Based on lecture notes Hutton’s revelation at Siccar Point. of a contemporary student.) Were Having taken the first volume of they so concerned about fossils and Lyell’s Principles of Geology with him the detailed composition of the rocks and having had the others sent out, that they could not stand up and look Darwin attributed his new clarity of around? vision to his reading of the Edinburgh man. Coming back to Baxter’s comment, with which we started, I think there Post-Beagle, in 1838, he had ‘eight are two explanations for Darwin’s good days in Glen Roy’, trying to solve apparent reluctance to ‘come out’ on the riddle of the Parallel Roads and the deep time issue: coming up with an answer (which was, sadly, wrong) based on his 1. When I was young there were South American experience. Then, many young lads — seldom in 1842, he returned to North Wales. girls — who collected the numbers In his own words: “Eleven years ago, and names of railway engines, who I spent a whole day in the valley, could go on for hours about A4 where yesterday everything but the Pacifics, Stanier Black Fives and ice of the glacier was palpably clear the Scott class and could even spell to me, and then I saw nothing but ‘Walschaert’s Valve Gear’, without plain water and bare rock.” Lyell was conceptualising their knowledge an influence — but surely his own by asking questions like: Why?

18 darwin and edinburgh

or Why there? Similarly, Darwin’s pain than pleasure.’ Reverend enthusiasm at sixteen was for Professor Henslow (Mineralogy, observing and collecting in the 1822, Botany 1825), a major field — ‘bug-hunting’ — rather than influence who was instrumental for concern about the big picture. in getting Darwin the Beagle For much of the 20th century Jean appointment, was made Rector Piaget’s ideas about how children of Hitcham in 1839. An excellent learn held sway. He saw an array clergyman, complaints were of concepts, each to be mastered made within the university of in turn as children developed. neglect of his academic duties The good teacher understood there. With mentors like these it is that there was a ‘readiness for understandable that Darwin felt it learning’ to be recognised and necessary to keep his cards close utilised in a progressive way. With to his chest. no commitment to medicine as a career, Darwin may quite We know how cautious, even simply have been unready for diffident, Darwin could be, seeking the full understanding of the the approval of Henslow and others. studies offered to him. Yet his He sat on the Beagle-inspired ideas time at Edinburgh was not wasted, on the Origin of Species for many because he acquired there the years before an imminent publication basic skills of scientific investigation by Wallace forced him into action. without losing his enthusiasm for He avoided time-wasting and often natural history. contentious committees and the like (although he reluctantly took up 2. At Cambridge, Darwin was the Secretaryship of the Geological on a course that would mean Society). Later in life, when things conformity with, and eventual got too hot he took to his bed and subscription to, the 39 Articles left the public fight to Hooker and of 1571. Whatever Darwin Huxley. It could be that Darwin for thought about deep time, he many years was quite content to play had to conform on the surface the part of Expedition Naturalist, to to the society around him. Many record and collect, to send plant and years later, the reaction of the animal material home, and, quite Reverend Adam Sedgwick, Senior simply, keep out of areas where Proctor, to Origin of Species was: nothing but controversy would result. ‘I have read your book with more

19 darwin and edinburgh

Patrick Geddes, another Edinburgh Since 2004 Walter Stephen has man, contributed an article produced several publications on on Variation and Selection to ‘Interesting Victorians’ like Patrick Encyclopaedia Britannica. He Geddes (“Think Global, Act Local”, summed up Darwin’s situation quite “A Vigorous Institution”) and Willie neatly by stating that, pre-Origin of Park Junior (“The Man who took Species, there was: “a tendency to Golf to the World”). His latest concentrate upon more concrete work — “Darwin and the Vestiges and smaller problems alone, since of of Creation” — will be published in these the solution was comparatively 2009. sure”. 

Stob Dearg, the northernmost peak of Buachaille Etive Mòr at the head of Glen Etive.

20 another charles darwin

Another Charles Darwin at the University of Edinburgh and his father’s links with James Hutton

by Andrew McMillan

Coincidences are there to be tombstone in Dr Duncan’s burial plot exploited. The ‘dull’ Dr Duncan in Buccleuch Parish Church* (Old) referred to in Walter Stephen’s (St Cuthbert’s Chapel of Ease) and fascinating article is the same suggests that had he lived to maturity medical man who taught Charles the benefit to medicine and science Robert Darwin’s uncle, also Charles, might have been considerable: at the University of Edinburgh in the 1770s. Andrew Duncan MD, Charles Darwin FRCP (1744–828) was Professor of was born at Lichfield Theory of Medicine at the university, September 3 1758; President of the Royal College of and died at Edinburgh Physicians, and founder of the Royal May 15 1778. Public Dispensary, Edinburgh (1776), the Royal Edinburgh Hospital (Lunatic Possessed of uncommon abilities and activity, he had acquired knowledge Asylum) (opened in Morningside in in every department of medical and 1813 — the Andrew Duncan Clinic philosophical science much beyond his was opened in 1965), and the Royal years. He gained the first medal offered Caledonian Horticultural Society by Aescupalian Society for a criterion to (1809), amongst others. So his distinguish matter from mucus; and had dullness of presentation seems not to prepared a thesis for his graduation on have been reflected by his catholic the retrograde motions of the lymphatic interests! vessels in some diseases. He cultivated the friendship of ingenious men and Uncle Charles Darwin was born was buried by favour of Dr A Duncan in Lichfield in 1758 and died in this his family vault. prematurely in Edinburgh, in 1778. ______Son of Erasmus Darwin (who also Fame’s boastful chisel, Fortune’s silver plume, studied at the Medical School in Mark but the mouldering urn, or deck Edinburgh between 1753–56), the tomb. his epitaph is cut in marble on a

21 another charles darwin

The circumstances of the tragic with Erasmus in early June 1774, death of this promising medical using Erasmus’s home as a base for student are well-documented. At geological expeditions to the Peak the end of April 1778, Charles District of Derbyshire. Over the next cut his finger while dissecting the twenty years they corresponded, brain of a child who had died of discussing and debating many ‘hydrocephalus internus’, and on the scientific topics and exchanging ideas same evening was seized with severe on mineralogy, geology, evolution headache followed the next day by and the earth’s origins. In the only ‘delirium, petechiae, haemmorrhage, preserved letter from Hutton to paralysis of the bladder and Darwin in the 1780s Hutton discusses other circumstances of extreme the absolute zero of temperature, the debility’ (see King-Hele, 1999). His connection between light and heat, father Erasmus was summoned to the temperature of hell and whether Edinburgh, and for a few days after the soul can feel it without sense he arrived he had hopes that Charles organs! Erasmus’s enthusiasm for and might recover but this was not to be. knowledge of geology owe much to Whilst in Edinburgh, Erasmus met his friendship and correspondence James Hutton — indeed it is probable with Hutton and two other leading that Erasmus stayed with Hutton protagonists of the 18th century, (King-Hele, 1999). Erasmus entrusted John Whitehurst of Derby and John Hutton with supervising the cutting of Michell, tutor at Queens College, the above inscription and on 3rd July Cambridge. But there was to be no he wrote to him (see next page). conversation, geological or otherwise, between Erasmus and his grandson As can be seen from this letter Charles Robert Darwin. The former the two men were good friends. died in 1802. The latter was born in In fact they had first met when 1809. Thus was lost an opportunity Hutton visited Lichfield and stayed for Charles Robert to become familiar

* The burial ground surrounds Buccleuch Parish Church at the junction of Chapel Street and Buccleuch Street. It was originally in St Cuthbert’s parish and was opened as an adjunct to the Chapel of Ease in 1756; the consecration of the burial ground by an Episcopalian bishop in 1764 aroused some adverse comment. About 1907 the ground suffered desecration by the removal of several gravestones and the erection of an unsightly hall which was used as a roller skating rink.

22 another charles darwin

“Dear Sir, I esteem myself highly obliged to you on many accounts. I have inclosed an inscription, which I wish to be put in marble, ornamented so as to cost between five and ten pounds, in a manner that shall be most agreeable to Dr Duncan, whom you will please to consult on this manner — I prefer English inscriptions to latin — hope you will see that it is cut deep in the marble, and not simply painted on the marble, as is the practise of workmen here, if not look’d after. I must beg in your next you will mention the name of the place he is buried in, that I may some years hence direct his brother to find his tomb! - Now let me add how sorry I am to hear you complain of headach’d [?] and giddyness. The former generally proceed from a decaying tooth, or a tooth about to decay — if it is one temple only that gives the pain, it is the last tooth in the upper jaw on the same side. Giddyness frequently proceeds from taking food too seldom — solid food, of the flesh kind often relieves it. Vinous spirit from small beer to alcohol destroys us all. I will send you coal full of vegetable seeds, turned to iron, and some Kenal coal. Coal with spar in it, or with pyrites in it, are too common to send you. And if Don — what’s his name — comes this way I shall be glad of his company for some days at my house, and will accompany him to see the wonders of Derbyshire. I wish yourself and Dr Black would come to England. – I shall not send a bill till I receive another letter from you, with the additional expense. I intend shortly to publish my poor Charles’s treatise on pus and mucus, and his thesis on the retrograde motions of the lymphatics, and will send you a few copies. You will please transmit the inclosed to Dr Duncan and to Mr Broughton and believe me dear Doctor Your much obliged friend E Darwin

Jul 3–78 Pray see Dr Duncan about the inscription before you direct it, to whom I am so much indebted”.

23 another charles darwin with James Hutton’s ideas at an early Dr Charles Waterston who also visited age. the graveyard in 1981 and recorded details of other unfortunate students I am grateful to Valerie McMillan, for whom Dr Duncan acted as host. my sister-in-law, for researching (Uncle) Charles Darwin and locating Further reading the tombstone, tasks which she Desmond King-Hele. 1999. Erasmus undertook in 1981 to assist Desmond Darwin — a Life of Unequalled King-Hele who was then working on Achievement. Giles de la Mare his latest book on Erasmus Darwin Publishers Limited, London, and (see below). I should also like to thank references therein. 

Limestone pavement and glacial erratic, Cill Chriosd, near Torrin, Skye.

24 salt

A rock for winter

One beneficial side-effect of comes from borehole records and the transport chaos caused by underground workings. The deposits early February’s snowfall was the are of Permian and Triassic ages, with sudden interest in geology shown formation about 275–225 million by all sections of the media. years ago. Of the Permian deposits, Everyone wanted to know where those at Teeside (part of the Zechstein the salt spread on the roads — or Group) formed in the Zechstein Sea, which should have been spread those in County Antrim (within the there — came from. Remarkably, Belfast Group) in the Bakevellia Sea; and probably thanks to some good the two marine areas were separated PR by the producers, most of the by a proto-Pennines land ridge. The resulting press cover was more- Triassic deposits in Cheshire (part of or-less right. The BBC’s web-site the Mercia Mudstone Group) seem was pretty typical, describing rock to be a bit more complicated, with salt as a brownish gravel dug out an aeolian origin apparently more of underground mines: the Salt likely than formation as in situ marine Union’s Winsford mine in Cheshire, evaporites. Naturally enough ‘The the Cleveland Potash mine in Media’ didn’t get into that debate, Teeside, and the Irish Salt Mining but were keen to tell us about the and Exploration Company’s mine in other use of salt mine workings, with County Antrim. These mines we were their dry environment and restricted told all exploited deposits formed access, as sites for secure document millions of years ago when parts of storage. If you have a criminal record the UK and Ireland were covered it could well be deep underground in by inland seas. As the seawater Cheshire. slowly evaporated, vast salty residues were left behind which were then Finally, the inevitable piece of buried beneath subsequent layers of comparative statistics: from the Salt sediment. Association, via the BBC, we learn that there are about 225 km of Not surprisingly, just about everything tunnels in the UK’s salt mines, which we know about the stuff known makes them cumulatively almost as as halite in geological circles long as the M5. 

25 sex in the devonian

Fishy fornication

How do you get the tabloid press Incisoscutum ritchei. The Sunday to run a story about an obscure Times News Review disagreed; also Devonian fish fossil? Easy... sex. Just quoting Dr Johanson, it claimed about everyone covered the Nature the fish was called Materpiscis paper, published in late February, attenboroughi, after Sir David. Maybe which demonstrated that “Sex in view of the press interest, and started sooner than we thought”. feeling uncomfortable in her role as a The lucky subject was a 365 million- late Devonian porn star, the wise fish year-old placoderm from Australia, had adopted an assumed name. now resident in The Natural History Museum, London. Re-examination There is though one important aspect of this specimen had established to this story that went unremarked. that what was originally thought to The crucial specimen has been in be the skeleton of the placoderm’s the NHM collection since the 1980s last meal, was in fact a fully- but only now has the necessary developed embryo within a female combination of opportunity, interest fish. Better still, from the Tabloid’s and expertise come together and point of view, were features on the allowed its full potential to be male of the species that suggested realised. Hopefully we can rely on “the beginning of erectile male the support of the tabloid press fertilisation”. Unfortunately there was when it comes to proper financing disagreement as to precisely what for the future housing and curation the species was called. Quoting Dr of national scientific collections. Not Zerina Johanson, curator of fossil fish to mention some investment in basic at the NHM, the BBC announced taxonomy so that we actually know that the specimen had been which species is which.  bestowed with the scientific name

What’s in a name? This Devonian fish is called Osteolepsis macrolepidotus. British Geological Survey photograph P257496

26 louis agassiz

So were we conned?

Up on Blackford Hill there is a to the Blackford Hill site and he also memorial plaque commemorating features in the following account of the first recognition of glacial features the affair, taken from John Gordon’s in Scotland, a feat credited to Louis introduction to ‘Reflections on the Agassiz during his visit in 1840. Ice Age in Scotland’, published in Legend has it that when Agassiz was 1997 by the Scottish Association of shown the grooved and striated rock Geography Teachers and Scottish face close to the Braid Burn he threw Natural Heritage. This account his hat in the air and declared ‘This stresses that Agassiz’s travels in is the work of ice!’ But now, in his Scotland took in the Glasgow district article on ‘Darwin and Edinburgh’ and the West Highlands, including Dr Walter Stephen tells us that as Glen Roy and Glen Spean. early as the 1820s Robert Jameson was lecturing at Edinburgh University on the former presence of glaciers in Scotland. So what actually happened? Should the Blackford Hill memorial be discretely removed?

A key figure is clearly Charles Maclaren, editor of The Scotsman newspaper at the time of Agassiz’s visit and himself a geologist. It was Maclaren who took Agassiz

Magnus Magnusson unveiling the plaque at ‘Agassiz Rock’ on Blackford Hill in 1993. British Geological Survey photograph MNS5417–19

27 louis agassiz

Detail of the ‘Agassiz Rock’ plaque. It is interesting that the wording selected by Scottish Natural Heritage is quite circumspect. British Geological Survey photograph MNS5420–17

“Although Agassiz is widely credited with the origin of the glacial theory, his ideas were a development of earlier work by de Charpentier, Esmark and others... Robert Jameson was aware of the new ideas emerging discoveries. Jameson passed the from Europe and their potential information to Charles Maclaren, significance, and as editor of the editor of The Scotsman and on Edinburgh New Philosophical 7 October 1840 that newspaper Journal, he was influential in their announced to the world the former dissemination. Also, in his lectures at existence of glaciers in Scotland.” Edinburgh University in the 1820s, as recorded in the lecture notes of David Land wrote a comprehensive James Forbes, Jameson expressed account of Agassiz’s Scottish tour the view that former glaciers might for Edinburgh Geologist No. 37 once have existed in Scotland, but (Autumn 2001). It seems that the regrettably he did not publish his visit was at the invitation of William own ideas. It was therefore Agassiz Buckland and the first port of call was who was the first to assemble Glasgow, for a meeting of the British detailed field evidence that glaciers Association for the Advancement had once existed... During a visit of Science. Thereafter Buckland to Scotland in 1840 Agassiz found and Agassiz travelled north, noting clear evidence of glaciation... [and]... evidence for glaciation. By October wrote to Robert Jameson about his 3rd they had reached Fort Augustus

28 darwin on the fringe and Agassiz had seen enough to write So maybe the plaque can stay in to Jameson proposing that Scotland place after all, but the affair does had once been covered by a great strangely foreshadow the later ice sheet; it was this information that circumstances surrounding Darwin Jameson passed on to Maclaren. and Wallace, but in the case of Agassiz did not arrive in Edinburgh Jameson and Agassiz it was the young until October 27th, nearly three upstart who got the credit. Who ever weeks after publication of his ideas said that pressure to publish was a in The Scotsman, which makes the modern phenomenon. All credit visit to Blackford Hill something of an to The Scotsman though. That was afterthought. That probably explains probably the first article on climate the rather low-key inscription chosen change ever published by the popular by Scottish Natural Heritage for the press.  ‘Aggasiz Rock’ plaque.

Darwin on the Fringe . . . accompanied by Phil Stone

It came as no surprise to see Darwin else was there? Pentabus Theatre featuring in this year’s Edinburgh performed ‘Origins’, described as ‘an Festival Fringe. He had three tributes inspirational comedy about Darwin’s at least, but there may well have early life’. This sounded as if it might been more — checking the entire miss all the best bits and I have to Fringe programme would require admit being wary of ‘inspirational dedication on a geological time-scale. comedies’ on the Fringe. Which left Tangram Theatre Company offered number three, and this sounded the longest title: ‘The origin of promising — ‘The rap guide to species by means of natural selection evolution’, an exploration of Darwin’s or the survival of (r)evolutionary theory through the medium of hip- theories in the face of scientific hop storytelling. What’s more, it and ecclesiastical objections: being claimed to be the only peer-reviewed a musical comedy about Charles show on the Fringe, so along I went. Darwin (1809–1882)’. No room for any misunderstanding there then I had never been to a rap but I was a bit put off by the tag line performance before, let alone one ‘Bring your own monkey’. So what that required audience participation.

29 darwin on the fringe

We were led along by Baba could usefully be on the syllabus for Brinkman, a Canadian rapper from Highers biology. Vancouver, and his performance was simply brilliant. The science Post-Fringe, the Canada/Evolution was good too, more ‘Descent of connection was kept up when Man’ than ‘Origin of Species’, fully the film ‘Creation’ premiered at justifying the peer-reviewed claim. the Toronto Film Festival on 10th I ‘sang’ along with ‘I’m A African’, September. Directed by Jon Amiel the aggression inherent in the style and starring real-life married couple was appropriately unleashed in Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany as ‘Creationism is …’ (with a hefty Emma and Charles Darwin, the film is side-swipe at post modernism), based on Randal Keyne’s biographical and there was plenty of focus on work ‘Annie’s Box’. This is definitely ‘Sexual Selection’. Altogether a something to look out for when it most satisfying and entertaining is released in Britain — and how experience … and which other about writing a review for Edinburgh show provided a description of the Geologist. Apparently it has not been reproductive habits of slime moulds? possible to find a distributor for the Or a ‘further reading’ list for that film in the USA, a demonstration of matter. My only disappointment was the influence there of the creationist in the age profile of the audience … lobby and in itself reason enough to too many old folk like me attending buy a ticket — and to encourage the out of curiosity. Baba Brinkman likes of Baba Brinkman. 

30 stop press

Stop Press . . . Creation screened in Edinburgh

Creation got to Edinburgh at the regularly to clarify the issues and beginning of October and I went chivvy her father along. That would along with high hopes, but came surely irritate anyone who did know away a little disappointed. It works the story, but Charles certainly needed well enough as a period romance, but a prod, with his well-documented somehow fails to capture the scientific recurring illness here taking centre- excitement. Paul Bettany does pretty stage in a rather overwrought and well as young, post-Beagle CD — I exaggerated interpretation. Linking particularly enjoyed his face-to-face the fates of Annie and Jenny was with Jenny the orang-utan — but most a nice, sentimental touch, but of the other portrayals are caricatures. eventually the film became more The intermixing of Beagle and family about reconciling Charles and Emma flash-backs might confuse anyone not (played rather harshly by Jennifer familiar with the story so to counter Connelly) than about getting that that we have the ghost of Annie wretched book finished. All in all, I Darwin (favourite daughter who died thought Creation a bit superficial and young, here promoted to eldest child a missed opportunity. Any contrary for dramatic effect) re-appearing opinions? 

31 book review

Book review

Putting Queensland on the map: the life of Robert Logan Jack, geologist and explorer by Felicity Jack. University of New South Wales Press, Sydney, 2008. Hardback, 275 pp. and CD. Price £35 (available from BGS Bookshop)

Last November I attended a reception in the Glasgow Vennel of Irvine held to launch this beautifully produced book. It was a fitting occasion on many counts. Robert Logan Jack was born in September 1845 in a cottage in the Vennel and it his fellow geologists who included seemed so appropriate that members his illustrious colleagues Archibald of the Jack family and their friends, Geikie, John Horne and Ben Peach. townsfolk and civic dignitaries should His lasting friendship with Robert all gather in this place to honour an Etheridge, palaeontologist also outstanding Scottish-born geologist proved valuable for his future career. and explorer and acknowledge the Jack was a Fellow of the geological publication of his biography written societies of Edinburgh, Glasgow and by his great-granddaughter, Felicity London. Jack. Physically fit and intellectually able, Felicity has written a scholarly Jack enjoyed travelling and it was account of the life of this man. no real surprise that he took the Painstakingly researched, the book opportunity to develop his geological recounts Jack’s formative years in skills abroad. He accepted the Scotland and his brief, yet productive position of Geological Surveyor for employment with the Geological Northern Queensland in 1877, and Survey of Scotland from 1867 to took with him his newly wedded 1877. During this time he surveyed wife, Janet Love whom he had met in the Fintry Hills, travelled in Europe in Fintry. The book describes their and became well-respected by voyages, home life in Townsville, and

32 book review exploration. Bureaucracy also gets a Jack’s explorative career was mention and, throughout, there are matched by an enthusiasm to edu- fascinating insights into internal politics cate, and the biography describes brought out by correspondence with his work locally to open a geological government officials. Jack’s surveying museum in Townsville which was and exploration parties, for example then translated to Brisbane, and later, to the Cape York Peninsula, are vividly his contributions to major exhibitions described with the aid of archival both in Australia and in Britain. For material including notebooks, letters, example, as a consultant geologist maps and photographs. His exploits in London from 1901–03 he was nearly cost his and his companions’ appointed Commissioner at the lives and on one occasion he Glasgow Exhibition of 1901. Back in experienced a very near miss by an Australia, in later years Jack worked aboriginal spear which penetrated his in both Western Australia and tent. Such events serve to emphasise Queensland, latterly living in Sydney the hazardous and arduous nature where he and his wife are buried. His of his field work, so different from book Northernmost Australia, pub- the Geological Survey of Scotland! lished just a few weeks after his death Jack’s discoveries were significant in in 1921 is a fine descriptive legacy of the development of Queensland’s exploration in northern Queensland. mining industry and included the At £35, the book may be out-of- discovery of coal and gold fields. He reach for some readers although it also discovered the Great Artesian does come with a CD with wide- Basin of great importance as a source ranging contents including Korea, of water for sheep farming which geological notebooks, maps, images contributed so much to Queensland’s and family letters. Whether or not economy at the beginning of the 20th you buy it, I commend the book century. Following his resignation (ask for it in your library) as a superb from his Queensland post in 1899, account of an unsung hero of geology Jack undertook some brief mineral and mineral exploration, a pioneering exploration in Korea and China in Scotsman and his supportive family 1899, starting from near Shanghai. willing and able to travel and explore This biography and his own account the world. (The Back Blocks of China, published in 1904) describes the expedition, cut Andrew McMillan  short by the Boxer Rising of 1900, and his escape to Burma.

33 ISSN 0265-7244 Price £2 net