BALFOUR (Francis Maitland, 1851-1882, Naturalist)

ALS to the Rev. M. C. F. MORRIS (son of Francis Orpen Morris, 1810-1893, Naturalist) thanking him for his letter, and explaining that he has been very busy and has "not had time to answer it before this. I quite approve of the principle of the new land bird protection bill, but I am doubtful about the wisdom of the policy of bringing it forward in it present form. I do not feel certain that by asking so much you will lose all. There will I conceive be a tremendous opposition to the protection of the hawks etc and I think it is quite possible that it will be considered as a first step toward attacking shooting & sport. You will be glad to hear that I won a Trinity scholarship in Natural science this spring ...", 4 sides 8vo., Cambridge, 28th May

Balfour was the younger brother of the politician, Arthur Balfour. He went to Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1870 and was elected a natural science scholar of his college in the following year, and obtained second place in the Natural Science Tripos of December 1873. He lost his life while attempting the ascent of Mont Blanc. He was regarded by his colleagues as one of the greatest biologists of his day and Charles Darwin's successor.
Charles Darwin referred to him as the "English Cuvier". Huxley thought he was "the only man who can carry out my work", and that his death was one of "the greatest loss to science in our time".

Item Date:  1871

Stock No:  39369