188 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. (Vol. XXlV. 



plished, he gave himself a respite, and witli his daughter, Miss M. 

 E. B. Howitt, who had for many years been closely associated with 

 him in his work, paid a visit to the old world. Needless to say he 

 was warmly welcomed there amongst the ethnologists, all of 

 whom — and many of them old friends by correspondence — fully 

 recognized the primary importance of his work. Amongst other 

 honours paid to him, the University of Cambridge conferred upon 

 him the degree of Doctor of Scierkce. Much as he enjoyed his 

 travels, it was with a feeling of relief that he turned his face 

 once more towards Australia, and no sooner had he arrived than 

 he set to work with renewed energy. 



His desire to complete his ethnological work had necessitated 

 for a time the laying on one side of his botanical and petrological 

 studies, but he now returned to these with renewed vigour and 

 interest. This was in 1905, and with all the intensity and keen- 

 ness of a young man, he set to work, both in his study and out in 

 the field, amongst the Gippsland mountains, to solve the problems 

 that he had been at work upon for years. 



In 1906 the honour of C.M.G. was conferred upon him, in 

 recognition of his distinguished services both as a public servant 

 and a scientist. 



In 1907 he presided over the Australasian Science Association 

 at its Adelaide meeting, his inaugural address dealing with his 

 personal reminiscences of Central Australia and the Burke and 

 Wills Expedition. In previous years he had been president of 

 the ethnological and geographical sections, and was the recipient 

 of the first Mueller medal awarded in recognition of scientific 

 work dealing especially with Australian problems. 



On his return in January he settled down once more at 

 Metung, the " even tenor " of his life being broken by one or two 

 visits to Melbourne and an expedition amongst the mountains of 

 the Omeo district in connection with his petrological and geo- 

 logical investigations. He was so young and fresh and so keenly 

 interested in his work that when one was discussing matters with 

 him it was difficult to realize that he was really a veteran, whose 

 experience dated back to the early "fifties" of the last century. 

 In December, 1907, the news came from Metung that he was 

 seriously ill, but he seemed to recover, and for a time it appeared 

 as if the danger had passed, and he might once more return to his 

 work, but this was not to be, and towards the close of Feb- 

 ruary of this year it became evident that the end was near. It 

 was characteristic of the man that when he was told that his 

 illness was serious, the one desire that he expressed was that 

 he might be able to complete a special piece of work on which 

 he had recently been engaged. He had, meanwhile, been re- 

 moved from Metung to the home of his son at Bairnsdale, and 

 there, on the evening of Saturday, 7th March, he passed away. 



In future years the name of Alfred William Howitt will be held 



