The Annals of Scottish Natural History
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RETURN TO LIBRARY OF MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY WOODS HOLE, MASS. LOANED BY AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY The Annals OF Scottish Natural History A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED "CIjc &rotttet) Naturalist" EDITED BY ]. A. HARVIE-BROWN, F.R.S.E., F.Z.S. MEMBER OF THE BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION JAMES W. H. TRAIL, M.A., M.D., F.R.S., F.L.S. PROFESSOR OF BOTANY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN AND WILLIAM EAGLE CLARKE, F.L.S., MEM. BRIT. ORN. UNION NATURAL HISTORY DEPARTMENT, MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND ART, EDINBURGH EDINBURGH DAVID DOUGLAS, CASTLE STREET LONDON: R. H. PORTER, 7 PRINCES ST., CAVENDISH SQUARE 1 The Annals of Scottish Natural History No. 29] 1899 [JANUARY THE LATE JAMES HARDY, LL.D. THE death of Dr. Hardy, which took place at his residence at Oldcambus Town Head, in the Parish of Cockburnspath, Berwickshire, on Friday, the 3Oth of September, 1898, has caused a blank in the ranks of Scottish Naturalists, which will not be easily filled. Born near Penmanshiel, on the 1st of June 1815, James Hardy had thus, at the time of his entered his but he death, already upon eighty-fourth year ; came of a long-lived race, and, as recorded upon the tomb- stone in God's acre at Coldingham Abbey, where his mortal remains were laid in their last resting-place, on Wednesday, the 5th of October last, his father had lived to the ripe old age of 100 years. The eldest son of a highly respected family, which had for many years been established as farmers in the Parish of Cockburnspath, James Hardy, after obtaining a good pre- paratory education at the village school, entered the University of Edinburgh about the year 1833. After four sessions of College life, one of which was spent at Glasgow for the purpose of attending a special class there, he returned home in somewhat indifferent health, and for a few years his course in life seems to have been uncertain. Although from early boyhood a most diligent student, he appears to have 29 B 2 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY evinced little predilection for any of the professions, and until i 846 he remained at home, busying himself about the farm, but all the time improving himself by close and attentive reading. In that year, what seemed a favourable opportunity of opening an Academy for higher education presented itself at Gateshead-on-Tyne, and he went there and not for a few his laboured, unsuccessfully, years ; but, health again giving way, he was compelled once more to return to the parental roof. From this time forward, up to the date of his death, he continued to reside in his native parish, ostensibly engaged in farming, but neglecting no opportunity of making himself thoroughly acquainted with the Natural History, and Antiquarian lore, of the Border Counties, and extending his reading to a great variety of subjects. During his residence in Gateshead he became acquainted with many of the leading scientific men on Tyneside, and joined the Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle, as well as the Newcastle Antiquarian Society, and he was one of the earliest members of the Tyneside Naturalists' Field Club, formed in 1846. In 1848, in con- junction with his friend the late T. J. Bold, he undertook " A Catalogue of the Insects of Northumberland and Durham," which was published, with Hardy as its editor, in " " 1 the Transactions of the Tyneside Club. The Catalogue extended to the order Coleoptera only, and, including, as it did, 353 genera, and I I/O species, was marvellously exhaust- ive, taking into account the somewhat meagre attention which had, up to that time, been paid to the Beetles of the district. Many other papers from his facile pen appeared from time to time in different scientific journals, always written with that accuracy, and careful regard to fact, which ever him and he was soon not distinguished ; recognised, merely as an authority on all local subjects, but as one well versed in some of the least-known branches of Botany, and Entomology. The pages of the earlier numbers of the " " Border Magazine were frequently enriched by his essays, not always confined to prose work, and the Folk Lore Society was equally indebted to him. Amongst his contributions " to the last-named Society may be mentioned his Popular 1 Vol. i. pp. 37-96, and vol. ii. pp. 21-97, and 164-287. THE LATE JAMES HARDY, LL.D. 3 l History of the Cuckoo," which contains a vast fund of information on this oft-written-upon, and almost inexhaust- ible and the which runs to over subject ; paper, 40 pp., its and is an apt illustration of the resources of author, the thoroughness with which his work was always done. In 1892-95 the Folk Lore Society published, under his " com- editorship, two volumes entitled Denham Tracts," Michael Aislabie prising a collection of folk lore by and the book are to be Denham ; interspersed throughout found many additions by the editor from his own store of information, these being always distinguished by the initials to (J. H.) appended them. It was, however, in connection with the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club that Dr. Hardy was perhaps best known, and to the members of that club his loss is well-nigh irre- the club till parable. Though he did not formally join 1863, he had contributed considerably to its "Proceedings" '2 for and the death of Mr. many years previously ; upon George Tate, in 1871, he was appointed, along with the late Dr. Francis Douglas, to the Secretaryship. From that time forward the duties of editing the annual publications devolved almost entirely upon him, and the success with which he accomplished that work is written in every volume of the Club's history. Losing the help of Dr. Douglas by that gentleman's death in 1886, Dr. Hardy acted as sole Secretary of the Club till 1896, when the Rev. George Gunn was associated with him in that office. In recognition of his valuable and gratuitous services, his fellow members presented him, in the jubilee year of the Club (1881), with a valuable microscope bearing an appropriate inscription, together with a cheque for ^111 towards enabling him to bind up his voluminous collection of books, pamphlets, and manuscripts. In April 1890, Mr. Hardy had the degree of LL.D. conferred upon him, honoris causa, by the University of and two months at its first for the Edinburgh ; later, meeting Berwickshire Naturalists' in year, the members of the Club, 1 Folk Lore Record, part ii. 2 " to the Flora of His first paper, entitled Contributions Berwickshire," i. 206-210. appeared in 1839, vol. pp. 4 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY tendering their congratulations to him, upon the distinction conferred upon him by his Alma Mater, made him the recipient of a handsomely illuminated address, together with a cheque for ^400. Through the instrumentality of the late Sir William J. Hooker, James Hardy had become known, at an early period, to the late Dr. George Johnston, of Berwick-on-Tweed, and their acquaintance soon grew into a close friendship, which was only to be parted by death. How well and usefully they worked together is demonstrated in nearly " every volume written by the gifted author of The Natural " of the Eastern Borders and a few History ; years ago Dr. Hardy edited a volume of the correspondence of his late friend, which had been brought together, and was published by his daughter Mrs. Barwell Carter. Amongst the many contributions to our knowledge of the Border Counties, for which we are indebted to Dr. Hardy, may be instanced his " " Popular Rhymes of Berwickshire," The Wild Cat in the " Border District," Bowling as an Extinct Game in Berwick- " " shire," the Lichen Flora," and Moss Flora of the Eastern " Borders," his Contributions to the Entomology of the " Cheviot Hills," On Urns and Other Antiquities found " round the Southern Skirts of the Cheviot Hills," Ancient Stone and Flint Implements of Berwickshire and the " " Borders," and his History of the Wolf in Scotland all " of which appeared in the History of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club," and are full of interesting details concern- ing the subjects treated. Many of them have been largely quoted, not always with due acknowledgment made, and one " of them, The Wolf in Scotland," was so appreciated by Mr. Harting, that it was very largely made use of in his " Extinct British Animals," with but very scanty reference scource from which his information was obtained and to the ; the writer has frequently heard Dr. Hardy refer, with considerable sarcasm, to the piracy so committed. Many other papers, too numerous to refer to here, were contributed him and in these are to be not additions to by ; found, only the local Fauna, and Flora, but many species are therein recorded, which had not previously been found in Scotland, or the British Islands, while not a few of them were entirely THE LATE JAMES HARDY, LL.D. 5 new to science. To enumerate even the latter is beyond the scope of this article, but several of his discoveries, still bearing the specific name of Hardii, will serve to keep for ever green the memory of one we all loved so well. In Ornithology, as in other matters, Dr. Hardy's local was extensive while the readiness with which knowledge very ; he was always willing to place his information at the disposal of others is amply acknowledged in Mr. Muirhead's "Birds of Berwickshire," scarcely a chapter of which but bears the im- press of his helping hand.