iAIEMOIR. XV 



shortly after enabled to figure eorrectly for the first time that of the 

 Egyptian Vulture *. The advantage to Wolley of being thus brought 

 into direct and friendly connexion with all the chief collectors of 

 the time — Hancock^ Pitman f, Salmon^ Sclater, Tuke, and Wilmot, 

 besides those already mentioned — is not to be overrated. 



In January 1816 Wolley graduated as a Bachelor of Arts and left 

 the University. His oological fervour had increased, and in the 

 spring he formed an idea of going to Iceland, as shewn by a reply 

 to enquiries made by him of Proctor of Durham, whose successes in 

 that island had been duly chronicled by Yarrell and Hewitson, but 

 nothing came of it. In June, accompanied by a cousin, Mr. James T, 

 Hurt X, he left England for a tour through Germany to Switzerland, 

 where they achieved a successful ascent of INIont Blanc — a feat not 

 then of such easy performance as it has since become §. In the course 

 of this tour, Wolley visited most of the museums that lay in his way, 

 making the acquaintance of various egg-collectors in Switzerland and 

 elsewhere, especially on his way home through France — particularly 

 M. Leffevre at Paris, who was bringing out his ' Atlas des OEufs des 

 Oiseaux d^Europe,' and the better known M. Hardy of Dieppe. 

 Returning to England he took up his abode in London (lodging at 

 26 Mount Street), and entered at the Middle Temple with the intention 

 of studying Law. But more congenial pursuits chiefly occupied his 



* The two figures given by Lefevre appeared in his Livraiso7i 13, dated 1847. 

 Thienemann's plate (Taf. liii.) was not published till 1650. 



t In 18-46 Dr. (now Sir Henry) Pitman sold his entire collection to the late 

 Mr. II. F. Walter. 



J This gentleman a few years later assumed the name of Edge on inheriting the 

 property of a relative of that name. Born in 1827 he died in 1894. 



§ The ascent was on the 5th of August, and is said (C. E. Mathews, ' Ascent 

 of Mont Blanc,' p. 322) to have been the thirty-second successful one. The only 

 printed account of it I can find is a paragraph in ' The Times ' newspaper of the 

 13th of August, 1846, probably communicated by Professor James D. Forbes, who -was 

 then staying at the Montanvert, whence he wrote to Wolley on the 3rd, in reply 

 to the hitter's enquiries, saying that he thought little could be done in the way of 

 scientific observation at the summit, but suggesting that Wolley should procure 

 " a good lump of the highest visible rock, should you happen to have the means of 

 detaching it." Whether this was done I have no knowledge, but I feel sure that 

 the attempt to get it would be made. Six guides, led by the veteran Couttet, 

 v/ere employed. The weather was very fine, and as nothing went wrong, there was 

 nothing to say on the subject. 



