19 fo. Obituary. .'•.\ 137 



OBITUARY. 



G. W. CHASTER, M.D. 



IL is with great regret that we have to record the sudden and unex- 

 pected death, at tlie earl}^ age of 47, of the distinguished conchologist, 

 Dr. Chaster. He was not an Irishman, but his frequent visits to Ireland 

 and the deep interest he evinced in Irish natural history, endeared him 

 to many readers of the Irish Natiualist. Dr. Chaster was not only an en- 

 thusiastic collector, he identified his captures with the most painstaking 

 industry and perseverance. Difficulties of identification gave a special 

 zest to efforts on his part, and he took particular interest in those genera 

 of Mollusca which required minute study and careful scrutiny. As long 

 ago as 1897 he contributed to the Irish Naturalist (vol. vi., pp. 120-125) a 

 noteworthy article entitled 'A Day's Dredging offBallycastle." During 

 his trip he discovered one species new to science {Adeorbis wiisidcattts), 

 and made several valuable additions to the Irish list. In the same volume 

 of 'dxQ Irish Naturalist (y)^. 184-185) appeared also his "Notes on the 

 Marine Mollusca of Rathlin Island " as part of a report on the fauna of 

 the island issued by a party of Knglish zoologists who had explored it 

 under the guidance of our friend Robert Welch of Belfast. 



In 1898 Dr. Chaster communicated to the Royal Irish Academy his 

 valuable and instructive report on the Mollusca obtained during the 

 various cruises off the West Coast of Ireland. It was printed in the Pro- 

 ceedings (yd\. v ,3), 189S-1900, pp. 1-33. Subsequently Dr. Chaster made 

 several successful collecting trips to Ireland. He joined the Kenmare 

 Field Club Conference in 1898, and subsequently he visited Enniskillen, 

 vSligo, Galway, North-East Donegal, and finally Acliill and Clare Islands. 

 During these excursions his interests graduall}' widened, and instead 

 of confining his attention to the Mollusca he began to make collec- 

 tions of Foraminifera, Coleoptera, and even of prehistoric implements 

 which formed the substance of important discourses delivered to several 

 English scientific societies. He became President of the Concbo- 

 logical Society of Great Britain and Ireland in 1904, and retained this 

 distinguished post for two years. 



NOTES, 



BOTANY. 

 Corydalis claviculata in Co. Derry. 



In the Journal of Botany, in 1874, I recorded the occurrence of Corydalis 



claviculata at Culmore, Co. Derry. For a good many years past it seemed 



to have disappeared from the locality. I am glad to be able now to 



note its re-discovery, but without giving particulars, trusting that it may 



be able to re-establish itself. 



W. E. Hart. 

 Kilderry, Co. Donegal. 



