elf, the association is
likely to succeed in making "rough places plain and crooked paths
straight."

We may add that Mr. Baird has been twice married. His first marriage was
in 1852, to Charlotte Lockhart of Cambusnethan, who died at Nice, in
Italy, in 1857. In 1859 he espoused Isabella Agnew Hay, daughter of the
late Admiral Hay. Although he is still the principal of the firm, Mr.
Baird takes no very active part in the conduct of the business, the
management devolving upon the other partners.

SIR WILLIAM THOMSON.

The world-wide reputation, as a mathematician and physicist, which Sir
William Thomson has acquired, is a sufficient plea for giving him the
foremost place in our sketches of University professors. Born in Belfast
in June, 1824, Sir William has entered upon the forty-eighth year of his
age. His father, Dr. James Thomson, was the author of several
mathematical text-books, and occupied for some time the position of
lecturer on mathematics at the Royal Academical Institute in Belfast,
from whence he was transferred to the mathematical professorship of
Glasgow University. The subject of our present sketch commenced his
University life at the early age of eleven years. Both in the chemistry
classes of Dr. Thomas Thomson, and in the astronomical lectures of Dr.
Nichol, he showed himself an exceedingly apt student, and gained
numerous prizes. In 1845, he graduated as second wrangler and first
Smith's prizeman at Cambridge University. On Sir William's career as a
Cambridge student we find the following interesting paragraph in an
article recently supplied to one of the leading magazines:--"When quite
a boy at Cambridge, still in his teens, he was a contributor to
mathematical journals both in France and England. It might have been
supposed that he was a lonely student, dwelling in a tower, like Erasmus
or Roger Bacon, quite cut off from the unsympathetic mob of his brother
collegians. On the contrary, Thomson was one of the best oarsmen of his
day, and an immense favourite with his brother under-graduates. This
taste for the water has always accompanied him. He had made many
valuable excursions in his beautiful yacht _Lalla Rookh_; and his
knowledge of the theory and practice of sailing is said to be
extraordinary. The occasion of his taking his degree proved an ovation
still recollected, and recorded in the annals of Cambridge. There was
not the least doubt in the University but that the youthful Peterh