OFFICIALS^ OTHER THAN THOSE TO BE FOUXD ABOVE. 2.21 



Mr. E. W. gates. 



Eugene William Gates was born at Girgenti, Sicily, on the 

 31st of December, 1845, and was educated partly at the 

 Sydney College, Bath, and partly by tutors. In 1867 he 

 passed, by competitive examination, into the Public Works 

 Department of the Government of India, and was posted to 

 Burma, where he soon commenced to investigate the orni- 

 thology of the Province. In 1881 he returned to England, 

 on two years^ leave, with a large collection of birds, and wrote 

 the '^ Birds of British Burniah' in two volumes. In 1886 

 he was requested by Dr. W. H. Blanford, the Editor of the 

 ' Fauna of British India,^ to undertake the portion dealing 

 with birds. For this purpose he came to England in 1888, 

 again on two years^ leave, and wrote the first two volumes, 

 comprising the Passeres. Unable to obtain an extension of 

 leave in order to comiDlete the work, he returned to Burma in 

 1890. While thus engaged, he also brought out a second 

 edition of ' The Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds ' in three 

 volumes, Mr. A. G. Hume having made over to him for that 

 purpose all his notes and correspondence on the subject. 



In 1897 Mr. Gates revisited England, and in 1898 and the 

 succeeding year published the ' Game Birds of India ' in two 

 volumes. In 1898 the Trustees of the British Museum 

 engaged his services for the purpose of cataloguing the large 

 collection of Birds' Eggs in that Institution. He prepared 

 the manuscript of four volumes, treating of about 50,000 

 specimens. The first two volumes were printed luider his 

 superintendence, but in 1902 he was compelled to abandon 

 the work, owing to severe illness, and the next two volumes 

 •were completed, with additions to date, and printed under 

 the supervision of Captain Savile G. Reid. The work has 

 not yet been brought to a conclusion, but the fifth volume 

 is under prepai\ation by Mr. W. R. Ggilvie-Grant. 



