46 PROCEEDINGS OP THE 



equanimity of a philosopher and the fortitude and resignation o£ 

 a true Christian. An old friend, the Eev. K. Yaughau, of Mod- 

 bury, was at his bedside when he died. On being asked where 

 he would like to be buried, the Colonel replied calml\% " Where 

 the tree falls, there let it lie " ; which seems to show that he met 

 even the Last Enemy Avith a stout heart. 



Many years ago when Kingsbridge Church was being restored, 

 the vaults in the aisles were opened aud the lead stolen f torn 

 the coffins. Montagu's coffin was the most massive of all, but 

 the thieves succeeded in ripping off the lead, the remains of the 

 coffin and the naturalist's bones being pitched back into the 

 vault. 



Montagu's fame as a naturalist rests mainly on his Ornitho- 

 logical Dictionary, whicli, at the time of its publication in 1802, 

 formed an excellent compendium of information on the structure, 

 life-history, and habits of our British Birds. This curious old 

 book, arranged in alphabetical order, established Montagu's repu- 

 tation. Even a superficial survey will convince the student of 

 its worth. It was Montagu who first made known to science 

 the beautiful Eoseate Tern, which he named Sterna DougaUi in 

 honour of Dr. M'Dougall, who sent him specimens from the 

 Cumbraes in tlie Firth of Clyde. One of these historic speci- 

 mens is still preserved in the Natural History Museum at (South 

 Kensington. 



By paying strict attention to the changes of plumage incidental 

 to age, sex and season, Montagu achieved a great deal of useful 

 work, and, among other things, proved that the " Greenwich 

 Sandpiper " was only one of the many varieties of the iiuff ; that 

 the " Ashcoloured Sandpiper " is really the Knot. Similarly, he 

 ■disposed of the " Winter GruU " which was only Larus camis, and 

 corrected the mistake of " that celebrated author, Mr. Pennant," 

 concerning the " Brown Owl," which was merely a variety of 

 the Tawny species {Syrnium aluco). Montagu gave us the first 

 adequate account of the natural history of the Dartford AVarbler, 

 and those who have learnt to recognize and admire the beau- 

 tiful Cirl Bunting may like to know that Colonel Montagu 

 first discovered the bird in this country. With the character- 

 istic caution and critical discernment of the scientific man, 

 Montagu hesitated to embrace Grilbert White's heresy of the 

 hibernation of swallows, believing the majority to migrate vvhile 

 a few only were detained by accident and, becoming torpid, 

 perished before the return of warmer weather. It is usually 

 stated that Mrs. Blackburn (' Nature,' 1872, vol. v. p. 383) first 

 confirmed Jenner's controverted statements about the cuckoo's 

 ejection of the young of the foster parent. But Montagu's 

 remarks on this subject in the Dictionary in 1802 support and 

 confirm Jenner's remarkable discovery, and there is no reason to 

 disbelieve the Colonel's word that his own observations were 

 actually made before those of Jenner. 



