LINNEAN SOCIETT OF LONDON. 45 



ff tlie 'Atlas of Elementary BiolojTy,' published by him in 18S5. 

 Piirkei-'s original researches during this period were under- 

 tiken entirely on his own initia'ive, and, in addition to several 

 original papers, he wrote a number of more popular articles in 

 the ' Nineteentli Century ' and elsenvhere. In 1879 he became 

 one of the Assistant Editors of the Journal of the Royal Micro- 

 scopical Society, and the same year lield the Lectureship in 

 Biology at Bedford College. 



In 187^ Pai'ker married Charlotte Elizabeth Rossell, daughter 

 of the Kev. John Rossell, and on his a])poincment to the chair 

 of Biologv at the University of Otago in 1880, left England with 

 his wife and two-year old son for Dunediu. A number of lec- 

 tures and addresses on biological and educational topics which 

 he there delivered show that Parker possessed a marked power 

 of exposition, combined with literary facility, quiet humour, and 

 common-sense views on educational questions. In coiinectini 

 with his University his interest was not limited to his own de- 

 partment, and to him is largely due the credit of introducing 

 many improvements in its Degree regulations. lie was a strong 

 advocate of higher educational aims, and lost no opportunity of 

 ins'sting on the importance of post-graduate study. 



The duties of the Professor of Biology at Dunedin include the 

 Curator.-hip of a Lirge and important University Museum, and 

 in this work Parker showed exceptional talent. In addition to 

 arranging the collection so as to make it educational in the 

 highest sense, he introduced several new methods, amongst which 

 may be mentioned his mode of preparation of cartilaginous 

 •skeletons so that they can be mounted dry without shrinkage. 

 Specimens of his efforts iu this direction m\y be seen in the 

 Br'tish Museum at S. Kensington; and records of some of his 

 Museum work were from time to time published in ' Nature ' 

 under the title " Notes from the Otago University jMuseum." 



Although Parker's time for research was strictly limited he 

 had publ shed, since leaving England, some thirty papers dealing 

 with a variety of zocdogical subjects. Amongst the more im- 

 portant of these may be mentioned those on the development of 

 Apteri/x (Phd. Trans.), and on the Dinornithidoe (Trans. Zool. 

 Sue), as well as others on Palinurus, A/ustelus, and Reqalecus. 

 All these papers are characterized by thoroughness of observa- 

 tion, clearness of style, and extreme caution as regards generali- 

 zation, and most of them are illustrated by numerous origin;d 

 drawings. 



Throughout his career at Dunedin Parker acted as Professor 

 of Biologv, but although mainly a zoologist, he did not neglect 

 the botanical side of the subject, and published a paper or two 

 dealing with plants, in one of which he announced the discovery 

 of sieve-tubes inan A.V^?i {Macrocystis). He also attempted to 

 secure a greater uniformity of terminology iu Biology. Seveial 

 of his pupds undertook research on his instigation. 



Before leaving England L'arker had in preparation his ' Course 



