38 Fisher, In Memoriam: Lyman Belding. [jan. 



of the 'Uncas,' Mr. Belding deserted from the vessel and, after 

 many unpleasant experiences, shipped in the 'Julian/ of Martha's 

 Vineyard, which visited the Cocos Islands, and the Galopagos 

 group for sperm whales. The ship returned to Honolulu in four 

 months with a cargo of oil. In the spring of 1S53 he shipped on 

 the bark 'Philomela,' of Portland, which he designated as an old 

 tub, and finally reached home January, 1854. 



There is no question that from the time he was a small boy, Mr. 

 Belding took a great interest in birds, especially in their native 

 haunts. In confirmation of this he says: "My love of adventure 

 as well as my admiration of birds was responsible for most of my 

 wanderings. Bird songs always had a great attraction for me and 

 I copied many songs that had regular intervals and could be ex- 

 pressed by our musical system." 



It was not until 1876, when he received a volume of Cooper's 

 ' Ornithology of California,' that his slumbering interest burst forth 

 and his activity as an ornithologist began. This stimulus, coupled 

 with the kindly interest and patient assistance of Prof. Baird and 

 Mr. Ridgway, two men who have helped many a bewildered and 

 discouraged beginner over the rough places in ornithology, started 

 him on his collecting career. He often expressed his gratitude for 

 their kind attention and avowed that his zeal for his work was 

 greatly increased by their combined encouragement. Prof. Baird 

 sent him many valuable books and Mr. Ridgway was most patient 

 and prompt in writing him long, interesting letters concerning 

 specimens he had sent to the Smithsonian Institution for identifi- 

 cation. 



His success in identifying specimens was due partly to his already 

 good knowledge of birds, partly to the excellence of Prof. Baird's 

 descriptions in the 'Ornithology of California,' and in Volume IX 

 of the ' Pacific Railway Reports,' and partly because " north-light 

 subspecies" as yet were not in vogue. He found more pleasure in 

 identifying strange birds than anything else, except, perhaps, in 

 collecting material in the Sierra Nevada. He never went out on a 

 collecting trip, especially on a long one, without taking some of his 

 most needed books, and "volume IX" was always one of them. 



In the spring of 1881, Prof. Baird and Mr. Ridgway requested 

 him to visit Guadalupe Island. Accordingly he went to San Diego 



