70 



In Memoriam. 



WALTER W. REEVES. 



By Frederic Hy. Ward, M.R.C.S., F.R.M.S. 



In a Club like ours, in which the social element is one of the 

 most distinctive features, it would not be meet to allow the 

 death of one of its original founders to pass by without remark. 

 To chronicle our loss becomes still more a dut}^ in the case of 

 our late friend Mr. Reeves, who from his punctual attendance 

 at all meetings, and constant readiness to assist in all matters 

 pertaining to the interests of the Club, might almost be looked 

 upon as its father, rather than one only of its original founders. 



I could wish that the duty of recording his worth had been 

 committed to more com^Detent hands than mine, but I feel that 

 his name will remain to the last in the affectionate remembrance 

 of his friends and fellow-members, and that nothing can be said 

 or written by anyone which could make it more enduring. 



Walter Waters Reeves, the eldest son of Thomas Watei-s 

 Reeves, was born on February I4th, 1819, at Beckley, in 

 Sussex, and was educated under Dr. Davies at the Cranbrook 

 Grammar School. While a schoolboy he showed his fondness 

 for natural history, and w^as continually collecting specimens. 

 Nothing delighted him more than rambling in the woods and 

 fields, and searching the banks and hedgerows for anything 

 that was alive. Returning home, he would triumphantly pro- 

 duce from his pockets his captures— not always, however, to an 

 admiring home circle when these consisted of snakes or other 

 creatures usually viewed with some repugnance. About this 

 time he made a very good collection of the eggs of British birds, 

 which he subsequently presented to a local museum. He was 

 by no means a collector merely. He carefully watched and 

 studied the birds and their habits at the different seasons, and 

 made himself familiar with their different notes and songs. 

 Down to a very late period he would identify any bird by a few 



