CONTRinUTORS TO THE FIRST SKRIKS OF ' THE IBIS.' 175 



Mr. EDWARD BLYTH. 



Edward Blyth. who died in London in December 1873, at 

 the age of sixty-three, was a naturalist of no ordinary type. 

 Though to the readers of ' The Ibis ' his name will be chiefly 

 known in its connexion with Ornithology and the numerous 

 papers registered in our General Subject-Index, birds by 

 no means formed the only zoological subject of which lie 

 possessed very ample knowledge. From 1833 to the time of 

 his death, Blyth worked incessantly ; and memoirs were 

 contributed by him to different scientific ])ublications, 

 chiefly to the ' Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal,' 

 ' The Annals and Magazine of Natural History,' ' The 

 Proceedings of the Zoological Society,' and to this Journal. 

 For twenty-two years prior to 1864 he was Curator of the 

 Calcutta Museum, which profited largely by his energy 

 and ability. It was there that Blyth devoted himself to 

 the study of the Natural History of British India and its 

 dependencies, the results of which have connected his name 

 so intimately with the Zoology of those countries. His 

 Catalogue of the Birds in the Museum was also written 

 during this period. After his return to England Blyth 

 continued to work with unabated industry, and was at 

 times almost daily to be seen consulting the library of the 

 Zoological Society. At the Society's meetings, too, he was 

 a frequent attendant. 



Blyth's connexion with the British Ornithologists' Union 

 commenced in 1860, when he was elected one of our first 

 Honorary Members. After his return to England he was 

 made an Extra-Ordinary Member, and so continued to the 

 day of his death. 



All who knew Blyth were struck with his powers of 

 memory, and the readiness with which names and references 

 found expression. His suggestions on such points, though 

 not always accurate, were seldom wide of the mark. 



