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



He contributed Volumes XIII, XIV and XV of the "Catalogue of 

 Birds," published by the British Museum, and he was co-author 

 with W. H. Hudson in a work on "Argentine Ornithology," a valu- 

 able contribution to our knowledge of the birds of that southern 

 land. Indeed in almost any field of ornithology which has been in- 

 vestigated during the past half century, Sclater's ceaseless activities 

 are manifested and he has impressed his vigorous personality upon 

 the scientific literature of his time. He was above all a systematic 

 naturalist, most conservative in his methods and beliefs, and never 

 was reconciled to the introduction of trinominals, adhering tena- 

 ciously, as did many of his contemporaries to the Linnean system 

 of binominals. He loved the old ways, and looked askance and 

 with suspicion upon ' innovations.' 



Naturally one who was so well known far and wide, and who had 

 done so much valuable scientific work, should receive many honors, 

 and have his name enrolled among the members of many Societies. 

 I have neither the time or space to enumerate them, suffice to state, 

 that he was an Honorary Member of nineteen, Corresponding 

 Member of thirteen. Member of ten, and Fellow of three of the 

 scientific societies of the world, altogether a varied membership in 

 forty -five, and I may probably have missed some. 



During the greater part of his career he had continued to add 

 to his collection of birds, and in 1886, when it had amounted to 

 nearly nine thousand specimens of over three thousand species, he 

 transferred it to the British Museum, whose collection augmented 

 at about the same time, by those of Gould, Salvin and Godman, 

 Hume, and others, became unrivaled in the world. After Sclater 

 had ceased to be Secretary of the Zoological Society, he published 

 comparatively little, and once I said to him that I thought he must 

 feel lonesome now freed as he was from his many official duties, 

 he quickly replied, "not at all, why should I be, I ride to hounds 

 several times a week, and I have ' The Ibis ' which keeps me pretty 

 busy, and really I do not seem to have any spare time at all." 



When I went to Africa in 1896, on arriving in London, the first 

 person I consulted regarding my expedition was my old friend, 

 then Secretary of the Society. I told him I proposed to go through 

 Mashonaland into the countries beyond along the line of the Zam- 

 besi, by way of Beira. He pointed out the imminence of the war 



