QA Notes and Netvs. f j 



Auk 

 an. 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



Prof. J. W. P. Jenks, an Associate Member of the American Ornitholo- 

 gists' Union, died at Providence, R. I., September 26, 1894. Prof. Jenks 

 was born at West Bovlston, Mass., in 1819, and was graduated from Brown 

 University in 1S3S. Immediately after his graduation he went to Georgia 

 as a teacher, returning to Massachusetts in 1S43, to become Principal of 

 Pierce Academy at Middleboro. Prof. Jenks had the instincts of a 

 naturalist and had ever been interested in natural history pursuits, but 

 it was not until 1891 that he found opportunity to devote himself entirely 

 to the study of nature. At that time he was called to Brown University 

 to establish a museum of natural history, and to occupy the chair of 

 agriculture. The remaining years of his life were closely identified with 

 the museum which he founded. With characteristic energy he devoted 

 all his time and no small share of his means to its development, and, 

 almost single handed, brought within its walls by far the larger part of 

 its collections. 



Earlv in his life, acting under the advice of Prof. Jeffries Wyman, Prof. 

 Jenks decided that his contributions to science could best be made in the 

 shape of material for his associates to study, and few men have been more 

 liberal or broad-minded in their earnest wish that their specimens should 

 be placed where they would yield the best results. In this way he rendered 

 important assistance to the late Professors Agassiz and Baird, the pages 

 of whose works attest their indebtedness. 



Prof. Jenks had all a naturalist's fine enthusiam ; his love for his 

 calling never waned, and at the time of his death he was as ardent in his 

 plans for the future as a student on the threshhold of his career. 



Dr. Eduard Baldamus, a Corresponding Member of the American Orni- 

 thologists' Union, died Oct. 30, 1893, in Wofenbiittel, Germany, at the age of 

 81 years and 6 months. This well-known ornithologist may be said to be 

 one of the founders of German ornithology, having been an associate of 

 Naumann, Brehm and Thienemann. Although from his earliest youth 

 an ardent student of birds, he was by profession a teacher and clergyman. 

 In 1849 he established the ornithological journal 'Naumannia,' which 

 came to a close in 1858. This was apparently the earliest special journal 

 devoted to ornithology, and was published as the organ of the German 

 Ornithological Society, of which Dr. Baldamus was the founder and first 

 secretary, this being likewise the first purely ornithological society ever 

 organized. From i860 to 1867 he was associated with Dr. Cabanis in the 

 editorship of the 'Journal fiir Ornithologie.' In 1842 he began a series of 

 ornithological explorations, which, during the next twenty-five years, 

 extended from northern France and Italy to the islands of the North Sea, 

 during which he formed his large oological collection, which has acquired 

 world-wide fame. His writings have relation mainly to the life-histories 



