38 BRITISH BIRDS. 



On the only occasion that I entered into a controversy with 

 him — the question of the nomenclature of Eiu'opean Owls 

 — we each said our say, and left the issue to ornithologists 

 to decide in the future. When I told him that I was 

 sorry to have felt oblig-ed to differ from him, he laughed 

 and said, "Well, I think we can sa}' that we have con- 

 ducted our controversy like gentlemen. " 



There is one aspect of Professor Newton's career which 

 has not been alluded to in any of the biographical notices 

 of his life which have come under my notice, and that was 

 his intense feeling and admiration for the work of 

 Gilbert White. My own edition of the " Natural History 

 of Selborne " he described as being issued in style " most 

 garish,'' but his criticism did not annoy me, as there were 

 many truisms in it, and we discussed the points at issue 

 ever after in a friendly way. He knew the history of 

 Gilbert White and his times better than any man of his 

 generation, and his memoir of the Selborne natui'alist in 

 the " Dictionary of National Biography " is as much a 

 masterpiece as his essay on Ornithology in the " Dic- 

 tionary of Birds." 



Those naturalists who visited Cambridge at the time of 

 the 1905 Congress will remember the exhibition of rare 

 books which Professor Newton exhibited from his library. 



Many valuable works were lent by him not to be seen in 

 other collections of ornithological works. It is interesting, 

 therefore, to know that he has bequeathed to the University 

 of Cambridge his collections and library, including all his 

 copyrights, books, pictures, papers, etc., relating to natural 

 history (subject only to a condition regarding legacy 

 duty), and one thousand pounds for " the keeping up and 

 adding to the said library." The University will thus 

 possess one of the most important ornithological libraries 

 in the world. 



Many of my readers can recall the visit of the Ornitho- 

 logical Congress to Cambridge in 1905, when we assembled 

 in the great hall of Magdalene College and paid a tribute 

 of respect to Professor Newton. We all remember his 



