'7 6 Notes and News. [January 



amateiws he appreciated that the knowledge of distribution, migration, 

 habits, etc., is not the ultimate aim of liis science, but that these details 

 are only valuable in so far as they assist in ascertaining the laws and 

 history of the whole living world, of life itself. 



In strict conformity with the scientific spirit that characterized all his 

 doings were the modesty and generosity of the man. Always willing to 

 help and to give, never jealous of anybody 'stealing his thunder,' but on 

 the contrary, openhearted and openhanded, giving out of his stores both 

 of knowledge and material without expecting or claiming 'returns' or 

 'credit.' And because men of Captain Blakiston's stamp are so scarce 

 his loss is felt more deeply by those who had the good fortune to know 

 him and to profit by his nobleness of heart and mind. 



We have not space to enumerate all the various papers published by 

 him on the birds of Japan. The principal ones have been alluded to 

 above, and to these we would add the title of a very interesting paper 

 read by him on February 14, 1883, before the Asiatic Society of Japan, 

 viz : 'Zoological Indications of Ancient Connection of the Japan Islands 

 with the Continent.' 



The following species were named in his honor -.—Alauda blakisto?ii ; 

 Anthus blakistoni ; Areoturiiis blakistoni ; Arundi?iax blakistoni ; Bubo 

 blakistoni ; Chelidoti blakistoni ; Motacilla blakistoni. 



Captain Blakiston was born at Lymington, Hants, England, December 

 271.1832. He received his education at the Royal Military Academy, 

 joined the Royal Artillery, and served during the Crimean War. At the 

 end of the latter he was sent to Canada where he was detailed to join 

 the Palliser Expedition for exploring the country between Canada and the 

 Rocky Mountains. The winter of 1857-58 was spent in Hudson's Bay 

 Territory and in Western Canada, and during the following summer he 

 crossed the Rocky Mountains twice. The ornithological results of his 

 wanderings in the Fur Countries are embodied in two valuable papers, 

 published in 'The Ibis' for 1861, 1862, and 1863, entitled 'On the Birds of 

 the Interior of British North America,' which are still the main source of 

 our ornithological knowledge of these parts of our continent. In 1861 he 

 surveyed the middle and upper Yangtse-Kiang, for which work he re- 

 ceived the Royal Medal of the Royal Geographical Society. Shortly 

 after he left China for Japan, where, after a brief visit to England, he 

 settled in Hakodate, engaging in mercantile pursuits. In his spare time 

 be engaged in his favorite studies, exploring and surveying a then almost 

 unknown country and people. In 18S4 he retired from business and 

 came to this country where he settled and married Miss Dun of London, 

 Ohio. 



Captain Blakiston collected extensively. His Canadian collections 

 went to Woolwich, England; quite a number of Japanese birds he sent 

 to R. Swinhoe, while a great many more were given to the local museum 

 in Hakodate, but the remainder of his valuable collection he donated to 

 the United States National Museum, where it forms the nucleus and most 

 valued portion of one of the most extensive collections of Japanese bird§ 

 in existence.— L. Stejneger. 



