248 Notes and News. [-^"K 



LApril 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



Dr. Rudolph Blasius, a Corresponding Fellow of the American Orni- 

 thologists' Union, died at his home in Braunschweig, Germany, September 

 21, 1907, in the 65th year of his age. He was born at Braunschweig, 

 November 25, 1842, and was the eldest son of Johann Heinrich Blasius, 

 the well-known author of the ' Fauna der Wirbelthiere Deutschlands' (1857), 

 a leading authority on European ornithology, and Professor of Zoology 

 in the Collegium Carolinum, the Technical High School of Braunschweig. 

 Rudolf here received his preliminary education, and subsequently took 

 his degree of M. D. at the University of Gottingen, in 1866. He entered 

 the army as Assistant Surgeon in the war of 1866, and later, during the 

 Franco-Prussian war, was promoted to Surgeon-Major. In 1879 he be- 

 came Professor of Hygeine and Bacteriology in the Technical High School 

 of his native city, which position he occupied till his death; and he also 

 filled important offices in the municipal government. 



He is said to have inherited a strong love for natural history pursuits 

 from both his father and grandfather, and by the fonner was early trained 

 in zoological research. Despite his many pressing duties later in life, 

 he was able to continue active work in ornithology. He was for many 

 years president of the Permanent International Ornithological Committee, 

 and of the Deutsche Omithologische Gesellschaft, and was one of the 

 editors of 'Omis.' He travelled much on the continent of Europe, being 

 often a delegate to medical and ornithological Congresses, and thus became 

 well acquainted with the ornithologists and the ornithological collections 

 of the principal cities of Europe. His ornithological papers were quite 

 munerous, relating mainly to the European ornis; his earliest paper, pub- 

 lished in 1862, being on the birds of Braunschweig, while his doctorial 

 thesis (1866) was upon the structure of egg-shells. He was especially 

 interested in bird migration, to which many of his papers relate. 



He was a man of robust health until overtaken by his last illness, fond 

 of field sports, a genial companion, and in his nmnerous travels made 

 many lasting friendships. 



Mr. Robert Ridgwa^' has recently started for a second visit to Costa 

 Rica, where he expects to spend six months or more in ornithological 

 explorations for the U. S. National Museum. As on his previous trip to 

 that country, he will be the guest of his old friend, Sr. Jose C. Zeledon, who 

 has done so much to develop the ornithology of Costa Rica. Leaving 

 Washington January 27, Mr. Ridgway went via Tampa to Havana, where 

 he met Mr. Zeledon, and the two proceeded to San Jose, arriving on the 

 8th of February. Two days later Mr. Ridgway wrote that he and Sr. 

 Anastasio Alfaro, the genial and talented Director of the Museo Nacional, 

 who accompanied him on several of his expeditions in 1905, were about 

 to start on an excursion to Mount Turubales, on the Pacific slope, a"peak 



