318 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. ix. 



Stonliam will be best kno\\-n to ornithologists as the 

 author of the Birds of the British Islands, 5 vols., 4to, 

 London, 1906-11. a work which he undertook both from 

 his deep interest in the subject and as an outlet for the 

 indomitable energy which even the stress of a busy 

 professional career Mas unable to subdue. The book 

 achieved a popular success, but it camiot be said to have 

 added much to our knowledge of the subject, and it 

 would be idle to pretend that Stonliam ranked liigh as a 

 scientific ornithologist ; a keen and painstaking field- 

 naturalist he A\'as, and an ardent lover of Heaven's free 

 air and the wild life of the countryside. Where, however, 

 he did excel was as an oologist, and had his inclination 

 led him to produce a book on the eggs instead of the 

 birds of Great Britain, his knowledge of the subject and 

 the remarkable series of eggs which he had personally 

 obtained and added to his collections would have been 

 of real importance. During the last eighteen years of his 

 hfe Stonham had, in addition to his eggs, formed an 

 extensive collection of British birds, and these he 

 bequeathed to his old school at Canterbury. 



As a man, Stonliam was a striking personality, tall of 

 figure, lean and saturnine of appearance, of a fearless and 

 outspoken honesty, and the possessor of a biting tongue : 

 he hesitated not to speak of men and things as he found 

 them : of enemies therefore he did not lack, nor did he of 

 very many friends, and those of us who were privileged 

 to know him well, knew him for a man of the kindliest 

 nature, true as steel, and with a heart of pure gold. 



W.H.M. 



