CONTRIBUTORS TO THE FIRST SERIES OF '^ THE IBIs/ 207 



Mr. R. SWINHOE. 



Robert Swinlioe was born in Calcutta on the 1st of 

 September, 1836. He was brought to England at an early 

 age, and educated at King's College, London, of which he 

 was made an Honoraiy Fellow in 1863. On leaving King's 

 College he matriculated at the University of London in 

 1853, and in the following year passed as a supernumerary 

 Interpreter for the Consular Service in China. During his 

 residence in China he acted as Vice-Consul and Consul at 

 Amoy, Shanghai, Ningpo, and Chefoo, as well as in Eormosa. 

 His expeditions included : — a journey up the Yangtsze river as 

 far as the interior of Szechuen ; the circumnavigation of the 

 island of Formosa ; a visit to Hainan ; and a journey to Pekin, 

 whither he accompanied, as interpreter, the English forces 

 under General Napier and Sir Hope Grant. His last station 

 was Chefoo, whither he had gone, with the hope of regaining 

 health, in 1873. His malady, however, increasing, Swinhoe 

 quitted China in October 1873, and, retiring from the Consular 

 Service on a pension, lived in London till his death on the 

 28th of October, 1877. 



During his stay in China, Swinlioe devoted the whole of 

 his spare time to working at the natural history of the different 

 places at which he resided, ornithology occupying a large 

 share of his attention. On the eve of his first departure from 

 England he made the acquaintance of our late Member, 

 Mr. H. Stevenson, It thus came to pass that some of 

 Swinhoe's first collections were consigned to Mr. Stevenson, 

 and that a portion of the birds passed into the Norwich 

 Museum, where they now are. Eut during his whole period 

 of work Swinhoe always reserved an extensive series of 

 specimens for his private collection, and used them for 

 reference in compiling the numerous papers that he was 

 constantly writing on his favourite subject. When Swinhoe 



