EDWARD PIERSON RAMSAY ETHKRIDGE. 211 



Some years ago tlie control of Hyde Park passed into the 

 bands of the Municipal Council, but previous to this the Park's 

 affairs had been administered by a Trust, of which Ramsay 

 was a member for many years. 



In 1886 the Senate of the University of St. Andrews con- 

 ferred on Mr. Ramsay the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws.^^a 



Previous to 1890 tlie Museum publications went under the 

 general name of " Catalogues," a form that did not give proper 

 scope to the activities of the Staff. At the suggestion of the 

 present writer, Dr. Ramsay proposed to the Trustees to 

 establish a {)eriodical, to appear at irregular intervals, and to 

 be confined to original articles of moderate length emanating 

 from Museum work. The Board 



"agreed on the Curator's suggestion to publish periodically reports 

 and papers worked out by the Scientific Staff of the 

 Museum." 16 



In 1890 this publication took shape as the " Records of the 

 Australian Museum," the first two volumes appearing in 1890- 

 91 under Ramsay's editorship. 



In 1893 the Curator, whose health had been visibly declining 

 for a considerable time previously was absent on extended 

 leave, during which the writer acted as his locum teneiis ; 

 during this period he paid a visit to New Zealand and spent 

 some time in the Rotorua District. For a time the change and 

 rest exerted a very beneficial effect, but ultimately finding the 

 cares of office too strenuous he resigned the Curatorship on the 

 olst December, 1894. This, however, did not cause Dr. 

 Ramsay's complete severance from the Institution with which 

 he had been connected so long, for he was appointed Consult- 

 ing Ornithologist, and retained this position until 28th February, 

 1909, when he finally retired from the service of the Trust. 



15a St. Andrew's University Calendar, 1895-96 (1895), p. 118. 

 1'^ Minutes, 6th August, 1889, p. 296. 



