Vol. XXI. 



1922 



Obituary. 237 



Obituary 



THE LATE Mr. A. H. C. ZIETZ, R.A.O.U. 



Time has claimed another original member and one of the 

 founders of the R.A.O.U. in the person of Mr. Amandus Hein- 

 rich Christian Zietz, who died recently at Kingswood, South 

 Australia. 



The late Mr. Zietz was born in Slesvig-Holstein, Denmark, 82 

 years ago. He started his career as a teacher, but this did not 

 agree with him; and being passionately fond of natural history, 

 he obtained a position in the world- famed Godefroi Museum, 

 where the authorities selected him to collect specimens. Mr. 

 Zietz returned from the trip with an excellent collection, which 

 he afterwards arranged for the museum. His services were next 

 sought after by the Kiel Museum, where he was employed for 

 several years. At the Fishery Exhibition held in Berlin he 

 gained the highest medal for the best work done, and shortly 

 afterwards was appointed Curator of the Kiel Museum. 



On the recommendation of Dr. Haacke, then Director of the 

 Museum, Adelaide, Mr. Zietz received an appointment and came 

 to Australia in 1884. His services at the Museum were much 

 appreciated, and he did valuable work helping the cause of 

 science. Among the most important tasks accomplished by Mr. 

 Zietz was the arranging of the specimens in the new museum. 

 Mr. Zietz was Assistant Director when he retired under the 

 Septuagenarians Act, July, 1910. In 1893 he and the late Direc- 

 tor, Professor Sir Edward Stirling, explored fossil remains at 

 Lake Callabonna. As the result of this investigation. Professor 

 Stirling and Mr. Zietz published a memoir under the auspices of 

 the Royal Society, dealing with the extinct Diprotodon australis, 

 and a large Emu-like bird, the Genyornis. The Diprotodon was 

 established at the Museum, and after an immense amount of 

 patient labour, one skeleton was completely assembled, and casts 

 of it have been made and sent to other museums. In 1906 Mr. 

 Zietz and his son enriched the Museum with specimens collected 

 during a tour in the "big scrub" of the Clarence and Richmond 

 Rivers, X.S.W. Mr. Zietz wrote several valuable papers for 

 the Royal Society of this State, and gave particular attention 

 to research, especially in connection with birds and fish. One 

 of the papers contributed by him concerned the fishes of the 

 Lower Murray. 



Mr. Zietz has left a widow, and one son, Mr. F. R. Zietz, to 

 whom all members of the R.A.O.L^. will join in expressing to 

 them their sincere sympathy, while science has lost an earnest 

 worker. Mr. F. R. Zeitz R.A.O.U., is ornithologist at the South 

 Australian Museum. 



