CONTRIBrXOKS TO THE FIRST SERIES OF ' THE IBIs/ lOl) 



Dr. R. BOWDLER SHARPE. 



Richard Rowdier Sharpe was born on the 22nd of 

 November^, 1847, being the eldest son of Thomas Rowdier 

 Sharpe, a well-known publisher in his day. At the age of 

 six he was sent to Brighton^ where his aunt, the widow of 

 the Rev. James Lloyd Wallace, formerly head-master of 

 Sevenoaks Grammar School, had a boy's school, to be well 

 grounded in Latin and Greek. At nine years of age he was. 

 transferred to Peterborough Gi'ammar School, of which his. 

 cousin, the Rev. James Wallace, had been appointed head- 

 master after his return from the Crimea, where he had served 

 as an Army-Chaplain. Within a few days of his arrival at 

 Peterborough, Sharpe gained a King's Scholarship, w^hicli 

 gave him a free education, while he was also a choir-boy in 

 the Cathedral. He left Peterborough with the Rev. James 

 Wallace, on the appointment of the latter to the head- 

 mastership of Loughborough Grammar School, and studied 

 there for some time, commencing his collection of bird-skins : 

 he had already made a large collection of eggs while at 

 Peterborough. He was afterwards sent, with the object of 

 studying for the army, to a private tutor at Steeple Gidding-^ 

 in Huntingdonshire, the Rector, the Rev. C. Molyneux, 

 having been a school-fellow of his father's. Here he 

 remembers having seen the late Lord Lilford, Mith his 

 Falconer and a full train, hawking on Great Gidding Field. 

 Having no taste for mathematics, however, he did little 

 work, but devoted most of his time to bird-collecting and 

 taxidermy, making at the same time a considerable collection 

 of insects, and having always a large assortment of living 

 birds. 



His father, mIio was then living at Cookham, Avislied the 

 boy to prepare for Oxford, as his mathematical training for 

 the Royal Engineers had proved a failure ; but the lad 

 thought of nothing but bird-collectiuff. 



