o Elliot, In Memoriam: Philip Lutley Sclater. [jan. 



selected him as its first editor, and he continued in the office for 

 six years, when he was succeeded for a similar period by Alfred 

 Newton, followed by Osbert Salvin, who was the editor for the next 

 six volumes, composing the third series. Then Sclater again 

 became one of the staff, and he remained either sole editor or asso- 

 ciate editor up to the beginning of the last year of his life. 



It would seem that his constant work as Secretary of the Zoologi- 

 cal Society, in connection with the publication of his numerous 

 papers and volumes that were constantly appearing, would have 

 been quite sufficient for him, without assuming the responsibility 

 and labor attached to the publication of an important journal, 

 but his capacity for work seemed unlimited, and he associated him- 

 self with Sharpe in establishing the British Ornithologists' Club, 

 and usually presided at the meetings, and delivered an address at 

 the beginning of the season. I have been his guest a number of 

 times at the annual dinner, and of course sat at his side, and he was 

 always a dignified presiding officer, of courteous demeanor. He 

 appeared to delight in work, and once he told me that there never 

 was a time when his pockets were not full of proofs requiring read- 

 ing and correcting, and wherever he went, all his spare moments 

 were occupied in this to most of us, wearisome and distasteful labor. 



He became a member of the British Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science in 1847, and was Secretary of Section D. for a 

 number of years, and ultimately its President in 1875, and delivered 

 an address, taking for his subject, " The present state of our knowl- 

 edge of geographical zoology," and in the succeeding year was 

 elected one of the two general Secretaries, and served for five years, 

 when he became ex-officio a member of the council. 



In 1874 he served as private secretary to his brother the Right 

 Hon. George Sclater-Booth, M. P., afterwards Lord Basing, who was 

 president of the local government board, and served for two years, 

 and was offered a permanent position in the civil service, which he 

 declined as he would not give up his natural history work. 



The library of the Zoological Society is greatly indebted to 

 Sclater's knowledge of works bearing on that science, and to his 

 activity in procuring the needed additions to make it complete. 

 Every newly published work of merit was obtained as soon as 

 possible after it was issued from the press, and there is no place 



