^"Isjy^'^] ^^^^^ "''^ News. 253 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



Major Charles E. Benuire, U. S. A., one of tlie Founders, an 

 Active Member, and a Councillor of the American Ornithologists' Union, 

 died at Jacksonville, Florida, February 4, 1897, of Brights' disease, at the 

 age of 61 jears. He left Washington only five days before he died, in the 

 hope of finding relief in the milder climate of Florida. His death, though 

 sudden, was not altogether unexpected. 



Bendire's chief work is his well-known ' Life Histories of North 

 American Birds,' the second volutne of which was recently reviewed in 

 this journal {a>iieii, pp. 104-106), but for many years he was a frequent 

 contributor to 'The Auk' and to other ornithological journals. His 

 death is a sad loss — in truth an irreparable loss — to American ornithol- 

 ogy, occurring, as it has, with his great work on North American Birds 

 less than half completed. 



Major Bendire was born in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, April 27, 

 1836, and came to this country in 1852. He soon enlisted as a private in 

 the U. S. Army, and was gradually promoted till he reached the rank of 

 Captain, in the Cavalry service, in 1SS6, and was shortly after retired for 

 disability. In 1S90 he was brevetted Major forgallant services rendered in 

 fighting Indians in Montana in 1877.! His long period of military 

 service in the remote parts of the West gave him exceptional facilities for 

 prosecuting his ornithological studies, which he evidently utilized to the 

 fullest extent. His immense collection of birds' eggs, gathered during his 

 military wanderings, long since became the property of the U. S. 

 National Museum, where their donor has held for some years the 

 position of Honorary Curator of the Department of Oology. He by no 

 means, however, restricted his interests to the nests and eggs of birds, but 

 was in all respects a well-equipped ornithologists, intent on investigating 

 for himself all questions touching the work he had in hand. 



He was well-known through correspondence, if not personally, to all 

 working ornithologists in America, and to many abroad, but only those 

 who knew him personally can appreciate his sterling integrity, his 

 hearty friendship, his sincerity and earnestness. 



In accordance with a standing rule of the Union j-especting deceased 

 Active Members (see Auk, XII, p. 199), a special memorial of Major 

 Bendire will be presented at the next meeting of the American Ornitholo- 

 gists' Union, and published later in ' The Auk.' 



