t 



JAN PIETER VAN WICKEVOORT CROMMELIN. 



On October 20tli last died at Haarlem the Dutch Or- 

 nithologist Dr. juris Jan Pieter van Wickevoort 

 Crommelin at the age of nearly 61 years. 



His love for the birds of his country dated from his 

 early boyhood, but the interest in regular ornithological 

 studies was awakened in him by the well-known Zoolo- 

 gist Temmiuck , an old friend of his father , during the 

 years he passed as a studiosus juris at the Leyden Univer- 

 sity. Encouraged by Temminck, who introduced him to the 

 Leyden Museum, Crommelin decided, after having taken 

 his degree of Doctor of Laws in 1852 , to devote a whole 

 year exclusively to the study of zoology under the able 

 direction of Professor van der Hoeven. 



Being independent as regards pecuniary matters , he felt 

 no inclination to enter either the career of a lawyer or a 

 politician , and could therefore the more easily devote his 

 time to collecting and studying the birds of his country. 

 His collection increased very rapidly, and with an extra- 

 ordinary zeal and perseverance he has, during nearly forty 

 years , brought it to such a standard that it may unhesita- 

 tingly be said to contain almost all the species of birds 

 hitherto observed in the Netherlands. Most of the species 

 are represented by large series of very carefully selected , 

 and splendidly stuffed and preserved specimens. In this 

 collection of about 2000 specimens a large number of very 

 rare species are represented. Amongst these the attention of 



jMotes from the l^eyclen Museum, Vol. XIV. 



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