April. I9IO. The hish Naturalist. 6i 



EDWARD PERCEVAL WRIGHT. 



Thk death of Edward Perceval Wright, which took place 

 on March 4th, caused sincere regret among the numerous 

 group of friends and acquaintances whose affection and regard 

 Wright's genial and striking personality had won. Wright 

 was born in Dublin in 1834, where his father was a barrister. 

 He was educated at home, and began life as a clerk in a 

 commercial company at the age of 16. This post he resigned 

 when he entered Trinity College in 1853. Before this, how- 

 ever, he had already begun to study Natural Science under 

 George J. Allman, the University Professor of Botany, so that 

 in the 3'ear after entering he was able to commence the 

 publication of the " Natural Histor}- Review."' He continued 

 editor of that quarterly journal till 1866. His earliest contri- 

 butions to science, dealing chiefly with the flora and fauna of 

 the south and west of Ireland, appear to have been made in 

 that Journal, and show his keen interest from the first in field- 

 w^ork and observation. He visited the caves of Mitchelstown 

 in 1857, with Halida>-, and by discovering there specimens of 

 blind springtails, he first showed the interest of the living 

 fauna of Irish caves. In the same year he took his degree, 

 and was appointed Director of the Museum in Trinity College. 

 In 1858 he ^vas appointed Lecturer in Zoology in Trinity 

 College and Lecturer in Botany in Dr. Steeven's Hospital 

 Medical School, and he was chosen Secretary for the Royal 

 Geological Society of Ireland and Secretary for Section D. of 

 the British ^Association. He continued secretary of this section 

 for several years and was always very much interested in the 

 work of the Association. It is a proof of Wright's remarkable 

 energy and capacity for work that while he was discharging 

 all these duties he was at the same time able to keep pace with 

 his undergraduate medical studies and did not give up his 

 work in Natural Science. In 1862 he took his M.D. degree, 

 and determining to practice as an oculist, with characteristic 

 energy he studied this branch of surgery specially in the 

 Medical Schools of Berlin, A'ienna, and Paris. By 1865 he had 

 begun to make a position for himself among Dublin oculists. 

 In this 3'ear he visited the Aran Islands and made a contri- 



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