44 2 Notes and News. [~£ uk 



Denis Gale, a well known ornithologist, died at his home in Denver, 

 Colorado, Feb. 26, 1905. Mr. Gale was born in London Aug. 10, 1828. 

 When he was a boy of but five years his parents came to America and 

 settled in Quebec, Canada. While in Quebec he attended school at a 

 boys' seminary until he was fifteen years of age, when he quit school to 

 work in the lumber business. 



His duties in this business necessitated his traveling many miles to 

 visit logging camps in the environs of Quebec, these journeys being often 

 made on snow shoes and in sleds. It was while he was thus engaged that 

 his propensity and love for natural history received their quickening im- 

 pulse from his natural surroundings. Laborious journeys were made 

 light by his keen interest in every bird that flitted across his path, and 

 with his note-book ever ready to receive its daily contributions he there 

 began active work in the ornithological studies that he pursued with few 

 interruptions through life. He was possessed of keen vision and hearing, 

 was quiet and reserved in disposition, and even as a boy of thirteen or 

 fourteen he shunned the plays of his schoolboy friends and sought soli- 

 tude in fields and woods. 



He remained in Quebec till he had reached the age of forty when he 

 moved to Albany. N. Y., where he became engaged as an artist and art 

 dealer, giving lessons in painting and drawing. Three years later he 

 moved to Philadelphia, Pa., and there followed the same occupation. 



He was a recognized critic in the fine arts and was honored with numer- 

 ous responsible appointments. In 187S he was given charge of the United 

 States art exhibit in Paris, and in 1S80 was honored with a similar appoint- 

 ment at the exhibition in California. 



In 18S1 he became interested in mining at Gold Hill, Boulder Co., 

 Col. During the first eleven years of his mining venture he continued 

 to make his home in Philadelphia, coming to Colorado each year in April 

 and remaining through November. Although he had been forced on 

 account of his business and urban surroundings to practically discon- 

 tinue his nature work while in Albany and Philadelphia, when he first 

 came to Colorado he became so impressed with this new field and the 

 excellent opportunities before him that his natural inclinations were 

 again given rein and he became one of the pioneer naturalists of our 

 State. 



In 1S92 he moved with his family from Philadelphia to Denver, where 

 he continued to live up to his death, making his summer home at Gold 

 Hill. 



His natural history work was chiefly along oological lines, although he 

 did some work in collecting and preparing bird skins. With mammals 

 he did but little but in this work he has the discovery of one new mouse 

 to his credit. Of all the new material that he collected he generously sent 

 the first and best to the National Museum at Washington, which has been 

 the recipient from him of several hundred bird skins and sets of eggs. 

 He took the first set of Clark's Crow's eggs ever taken in Colorado, 



