MEMOIR. XI 



In 1889, he was still intent on his classification of birds, and 

 he wrote a paper in the " Ibis," " An attempt to diagnose the 

 Sub-orders of the Ancient Ardeino- Anserine assemblage of Birds, 

 by the aid of osteological characters alone." Then, in 1890, 

 followed more papers in the " Ibis," on the same lines, " An 

 attempt to diagnose the Pico-Passerine group of Birds, and the 

 Sub-orders of which it consists," and " An attempt to diagnose 

 the Sub-class Coraciiformes, and the orders, sub-orders and families 

 comprised therein." 



In this year he received his first consignment of birds from the 

 Bonin Islands, from Mr. P. A. Hoist, whom he had sent out as 

 a collector, with the view of publishing a complete work on the 

 birds of the Japanese Archipelago. He was actuated by the 

 utmost zeal for scientific exploration, but, as I read in his last 

 letter to Seebohm, "ill-luck and ill-health" had been against him, 

 and hindered his work. When he wrote this, from Formosa, he 

 was dying, and he must have expired within a few days of his 

 generous employer. On the Bonin Islands, Hoist obtained a most 

 interesting series of birds, from which, however, were wanting the 

 Grosbeak (Chaunoproctus ferreirostris) and the Ground Thrush 

 {Geocichla terrestris), to Seebohm's great disappointment. After- 

 wards, Hoist went to the Volcano Islands, and the description of 

 his collection was published by Seebohm in the " Ibis " for 1891 

 (pp. 189 — 192). In the same year he also described a new 

 Zosterops, as Z. stejnegeri, from the Seven Islands, Japan (" Ibis," 

 1891, pp. 273, 274). An important paper on the "Birds of 

 Szechuen, in Western China (" Ibis," 1891, pp. 370 — 381), was 

 also published by him in 1891 . 



In 1890, he had issued his "Classification of Birds: an attempt 

 to diagnose the sub-classes, orders, sub-orders and some of the 

 Families of existing Birds." This work, founded on his own 

 individual researches, and the life-long studies of his friend Pro- 

 fessor Parker, was undoubtedly an important contribution to 

 ornithological knowledge. 



In 1890, Seebohm also published his book on " The Birds of 

 the Japanese Empire," into which he introduced certain modifi- 

 cations and corrections to his ideas of " Classification." The 

 book is a most useful one, and is based upon the finest collection 

 of Japanese birds in the world. Some slight modifications must 



