OBITUARY. 541 



luved thorn all aiul was unwilling to hurt any of them anil accordinoly 

 was not a collector of specimens except in a very small way, just enor \i\\ 

 to get as thorough a knowledge as he judged sufficient of their lives ^nd 

 habits. But he kept many pets in his time, chiefly birds, which \\<^ 

 was never tired of 'watching. Originally his attention was mainly 

 confined to birds but he soon took up insects and was more particularly 

 interested in butterflies. These last he had special opportunities of 

 studving during some years' service passed in Kauara, the richest 

 District in this respect of the Bombay Presidency, and he made amjile 

 use of his time there in investigating and writing about their life- 

 histories. 



He was a shrewd observer of humanity too as his book " Behind the 

 Bunoalow " testifies. This book is one of the Anolo-Indian classics and 

 will remain a lasting monument to the memory of the author. Hi:> 

 first literary venture was entitled " The Tribes on my Frontier," des- 

 cribinor the animals ordinarilv met with in and around an Indian 

 Ijungalow. It is too widely known to require any remarks here. 

 Another book of his is " The Oonnnon Birds of Bombay " wdiich 

 treats of the birds met with in the Town of Bombay and its vicinity 

 in a manner that makes it easy for any one to recognise each indivi- 

 dual when he sees it. " The Naturalist on the Prowl " written when he 

 was in Kanara and full of the scent of the jungles is perhaps less gener- 

 ally knowm than those already mentioned. He made next to nothing 

 by the sale of his two first books, large though it must have been. All 

 his books are well known in India as they well deserve to be, for they 

 are full of accurate knowledge pleasantly imparted, a (juaint humour 

 which cannot but appeal to the reader and the joyousness of living 

 which expresses so well the nature of the writer. 



He was a good man in every sense of the word, a strongly religious 

 man, a pleasant companion, broad minded, exceedingly tolerant of the 

 weaknesses of others, gentle and loveable and a rare example of a man 

 without a single enemv. At home in Scotland he had looked forward 

 to many years of leisure in wliicli to write down the result of his life's 

 observations in natural historv, and it is to be regretted that the time 

 was not granted him in which to add to the debt of gratitude we owe 

 him for the books he has left behind. It may be of interest to thog« 

 who knew him to learn that his funeral was attended bv no fewer 



