Duncan Forbes, a Scottish statesman, horn at Buchrew, near Inverness, Nov. 10, 1685, died Dec. 10, 1747. He was educated at Inverness and Edinburgh, and at the university of Leyden, and in 1709 became an advocate. He had already won the friendship of John, duke of Argyll; and in 1715 he took an active part in suppressing the rebellion. He was appointed to aid in prosecuting-the captured rebels, but it does not appear that he acted in the office, and he was prominent in aiding the Scotch prisoners in England. In 1716 he was appointed advocate depute, in 1722 was returned to the British house of commons for Inverness, and in 1725 became lord advocate. The office of secretary of state for Scotland being at this time discontinued, its duties devolved on the lord advocate, who was thus temporarily at the head of the government. The office of lord president of the court of session was conferred on him in 1787. He still paid regard to political affairs, and proposed that government should raise several regiments of Highlanders, to he officered by the chiefs of the disaffected clans, and employed in the threatened Spanish war. Several leading men, including Walpole, approved the plan, but nothing was done.

When the second rebellion broke out, in 1745, he exerted himself strenuously to prevent its spread, withheld several highland chiefs from joining the pretender, and was more efficient than any other man in restraining the rebels. After the battle of Culloden, which took its name from Forbes's family estate, he sought to moderate the ferocity of the victors, but his remonstrances were treated with the utmost scorn and contempt, He was insulted by Cumberland, who called him that old woman who talked to me about humanity." The government used him with baseness. He had advanced and borrowed large sums of money in aid of it, but none of his advances were returned, and the borrowed money was repaid from his estate, after his death, by his son. Forbes saw the changes that were forced upon Scotland after the rebellion with regret, and his death, which happened 20 months after the battle of Culloden, is supposed to have been caused by the humiliation of himself and his country. He was a Hebrew scholar, and wrote Thoughts on Religion, Natural and Revealed," Reflections on the Sources of Incredulity in regard to Religion," and "A Letter to a Bishop concerning some important Discoveries in Philosophy and Religion." His correspondence in relation to Scottish affairs was published under the title of "The Culloden Papers" (London, 1815); and his biography has been written by John Hill Burton (London, 1847).

1. Textiraria globulosa.

2. Rotalia globulosa.

2. Side view of Rotalia Boucana.