^''iQOS^^] ^'«'^^ «"^ ^^'^"'S- 103 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



How ARD Saunders, an Honorary Fellow of the American Ornithologists' 

 Union, died at his home in London, after a long and painful illness, October 

 20, 1907, at the age of 72 years. 



From Mr. W. R. Ogilvie-G rant's appreciative biographical notice of Mr. 

 Saunders, published in the November issue of 'The Zoologist' (Fourth 

 Ser., Vol. XI, No. 131, Nov. 15, 1907, pp. 436-438) we take the following: 



"Mr. Saunders was born in London in 1835, and was educated at Dr. 

 Gavin Smith's school- at Rottirigdean, where at an early age he displayed 

 a special interest in birds, and made his first recorded observation. Born 

 of an old and honourable merchant family of the City of London, he re- 

 ceived during his early years a business training, which may be traced in 

 his accurate and methodical manner of dealing with any subject he under- 

 took. All his writings bear testimony of the same careful and painstaking 

 treatment, and it is not too much to say that his 'Manual of British Birds,' 

 which is perhaps the best and most widely appreciated of his works, will 

 always remain a model of accuracy and learning compressed into the 

 smallest possible bulk .... 



"At the age of twenty Mr. Saunders left England in the clipper-ship 

 'Atrevida,' bound for South America, and his observations on the Alba- 

 trosses noted during the voyage were published in a letter to the ' Ibis ' for 

 1866. During 1855 to 1856 he visited Brazil, Chile, and Peru, and remained 

 in the latter country till 1860, his time being chiefly spent in antiquarian 

 researches, and in acquiring a perfect knowledge of the Spanish language. 

 Subsequently he made a remarkable journey across the Andes to the 

 head-waters of the Amazon, and descended that river to Para. Thence 

 he returned to England, where he devoted the greater part of his time to 

 the study of ornithology. Between the years 1863 and 1870 he paid 

 frequent visits to Spain, his proficiency in Spanish being of great use to 

 him during his travels. The results of his observations on the birds of the 

 Spanish peninsula were published in a series of articles which he con- 

 tributed to the 'Ibis,' 1869-1872 .... In 1870 he was elected a member of 

 the British Ornithologists' Union, and took a leading part in its conduct, 

 being still Secretary at the time of his death. He was twice Editor of the 

 'Ibis,' from 1883-1886, and again from 1895-1900. From 1880-1885 he 

 was Honorary Secretaiy to Section D of the British Association for the 

 Advancement of Science. He was a Fellow of the Zoological, Linnean, 

 and Royal Geographical Societies, and served on the Councils of all of them, 

 and from time to time contributed valuable papers to their 'Proceedings.' 

 He was also a member of the Societe Zoologique de France, Honorary 

 Member of the American Ornithologists' Union, and of various other 

 European societies. . . . 



"His ornithological writings were noted for their excellence rather 



