﻿215 
  

  

  OBITUARY 
  NOTICES. 
  

  

  EncAR 
  Albert 
  Smith/ 
  

   1847-1916. 
  

   Not 
  only 
  our 
  Society 
  but 
  the 
  whole 
  maUicological 
  worhl 
  lias 
  sustained 
  

   irreparable 
  loss 
  in 
  the 
  passing 
  of 
  our 
  Editor, 
  wbo 
  was 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  

   founders 
  of 
  this 
  Society, 
  its 
  President 
  for 
  1901-3, 
  and 
  its 
  Editor 
  

   from 
  1904 
  to 
  1916. 
  

  

  Edgar 
  Albert 
  Smith, 
  son 
  of 
  tlie 
  well-known 
  entomologist 
  Frederick 
  

   Smith, 
  was 
  born 
  in 
  London 
  29th 
  November, 
  1847. 
  He 
  was 
  educated 
  

   both 
  at 
  the 
  North 
  London 
  Collegiate 
  Scbool 
  and 
  privately, 
  being 
  

   well 
  grounded 
  in 
  Latin 
  amongst 
  other 
  subjects, 
  as 
  his 
  excellent 
  

   diagnoses 
  bear 
  witness. 
  

  

  In 
  1867 
  he 
  entered 
  the 
  service 
  of 
  tbe 
  Trustees 
  of 
  the 
  British 
  

   Museum, 
  where 
  his 
  father 
  had 
  already 
  been 
  for 
  many 
  years 
  in 
  the 
  

   Zoological 
  Department, 
  in 
  charge 
  pi'incipally 
  of 
  the 
  Hymenoptera. 
  

  

  Edgar 
  Smith's 
  first 
  work 
  was 
  in 
  connection 
  Avith 
  the 
  celebrated 
  

   collection 
  of 
  shells 
  made 
  by 
  Hugh 
  Cuming 
  and 
  acquii'ed 
  by 
  tbe 
  

   Museum 
  in 
  1846, 
  at 
  which 
  he 
  worked 
  under 
  Dr. 
  J. 
  E. 
  Gray. 
  From 
  

   1871 
  be 
  was 
  in 
  immediate 
  cbarge 
  of 
  the 
  Molluscan 
  Collection, 
  whilst 
  

   till 
  1878 
  he 
  was 
  also 
  responsible 
  for 
  the 
  rest 
  of 
  the 
  marine 
  

   invertebrates 
  with 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  the 
  Crustacea. 
  On 
  the 
  removal 
  

   of 
  the 
  natural 
  history 
  collections 
  from 
  Bloomsbury 
  to 
  South 
  

   Kensington, 
  tlie 
  arrangement 
  of 
  the 
  Molluscan 
  Collection 
  in 
  the 
  

   then 
  new 
  Natural 
  History 
  Museum 
  was, 
  of 
  course, 
  his 
  peculiar 
  care 
  

   and 
  was 
  planned 
  by 
  him 
  with 
  a 
  special 
  eye 
  to 
  tbe 
  convenience 
  of 
  the 
  

   numerous 
  students 
  and 
  amateur 
  collectors 
  who 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  slow 
  to 
  

   avail 
  themselves 
  of 
  it. 
  

  

  In 
  addition 
  to 
  his 
  strictly 
  curatorial 
  work 
  his 
  official 
  duties 
  

   entailed 
  an 
  exceedingly 
  large 
  correspondence 
  in 
  dealing 
  with 
  the 
  

   requests 
  for 
  information 
  and 
  advice 
  that 
  rained 
  down 
  on 
  him 
  

   from 
  all 
  quarters. 
  . 
  To 
  tbese 
  correspondents 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  to 
  personal 
  

   applicants 
  the 
  benefit 
  of 
  his 
  very 
  extensive 
  knowledge 
  and 
  experience 
  

   Avas 
  always 
  most 
  freely 
  given 
  with 
  a 
  courtesy, 
  and 
  amiable 
  and 
  

   unassuming 
  manner, 
  that 
  won 
  him 
  the 
  regard 
  and 
  friendship 
  of 
  all 
  

   with 
  whom 
  he 
  came 
  in 
  contact. 
  

  

  Specialization 
  under 
  these 
  circumstances 
  was 
  impossible, 
  never- 
  

   theless 
  to 
  some 
  subjects 
  he 
  naturally 
  gave 
  more 
  prominent 
  attention, 
  

   such 
  as 
  the 
  fauna 
  of 
  tbe 
  great 
  African 
  Lakes 
  and 
  the 
  marine 
  shells 
  

   of 
  South 
  Africa, 
  to 
  which 
  perhaps 
  may 
  be 
  added 
  the 
  non-marine 
  

   shells 
  of 
  Borneo 
  and 
  New 
  Guinea. 
  

  

  In 
  1895 
  Edgar 
  Smith 
  obtained 
  his 
  well-deserved 
  promotion 
  to 
  tbe 
  

   post 
  of 
  Assistant 
  Keeper 
  in 
  the 
  Zoological 
  Department, 
  and 
  in 
  1903 
  

   his 
  long 
  and 
  meritorious 
  service 
  received 
  acknowledgment 
  in 
  bis 
  

   creation 
  as 
  a 
  Companion 
  of 
  tbe 
  Imperial 
  Service 
  Order. 
  When 
  his 
  

   time 
  for 
  retirement 
  came 
  in 
  1912 
  bis 
  colleagues, 
  joined 
  by 
  many 
  

   friends, 
  united 
  in 
  presenting 
  him 
  with 
  an 
  address 
  and 
  numerous 
  

  

  ' 
  For 
  Portrait 
  see 
  Frontispiece 
  to 
  vol. 
  xi. 
  

  

  