12 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. vk 



working first at Port Erin and at Valencia. He first came 

 to Plymouth to work at the Marine Biological Laboratory in 

 1895, and has spent several months of each year here since 

 then. He was specially interested in nemertines, nudi- 

 branchs and Crustacea, especially schizopods. You are pro- 

 bably better acquainted with his bird-work than I am, but it 

 was a subject in which he was always very much interested. 



" In addition to biology, he possessed a very sound know- 

 ledge of field-geology." 



Mr. Beaumont entered upon the " ringing " scheme with 

 the utmost ardour, but he met with many disappointments 

 through not being able to land in many places owing to rough 

 weather or to the want of suitable anchorage where his yacht^ 

 which he worked single-handed, could be left in safety. Thus, 

 in deploring his want of success he wrote in September, 1910 : 

 " I wasted most of a Aveek at the end of June, for example, 

 waiting at Crinan for a chance to visit some islands." We 

 may quote the following hints to " ringers " from one of his 

 letters to us : — 



" I have this year adopted a plan of dealing with the rings 

 which saves much time and trouble and facilitates accuracy. 

 Those of your helpers who mark birds in colonies and have 

 not already some dodge of their owti maj^ be glad to know 

 of it. 



" Before visiting a nesting-station I arrange a supply of 

 rings in order of numbering, and thread them on a piece of 

 rope of suitable thickness. Log-line, 1 inch in circumference, 

 does very well for sizes 3 and 4. Each ring should be pinched 

 on to the line, so as to fit so tightly that it cannot slip over 

 its neighbours and get out of its proper place, yet can be 

 easily slid off when wanted. Besides arranging the rings in 

 order to begin with , I examine the number on each as I thread 

 it on the line and again before putting it on the bird, so as to 

 eliminate all chance of error." 



Mr. Beaumont was a keen student of bird-life, as many 

 observations in his numerous letters to us testify, and it was 

 always a great pleasure to have a quiet chat with him about 

 birds. He will be sreatly missed by all those who had the 

 privilege of being acquainted with him. H.F.W. 



