476 Obituary. 



Nov., 1832, and died at Lowestoft on tlie 25th of April last. 

 Very early in life he developed his innate love for orni- 

 thology, stimulated doubtless by the example and com- 

 panionship of his elder brother Alfred, and at the age of 

 12 years penned his first published paper on the subject, 

 ■which appeared in the 'Zoologist' for 1845 (p. 1024), 

 showing that at that early age l»e knew his Yarrell, and also 

 his Bewick and Montagu. Delicate health as a boy neces- 

 sitated his education being conducted chiefly at home, a 

 circumstance most fortunate for the development of his 

 zoological tastes. For several years after his first essay he 

 continued to contribute notes to the ' Zoologist,' chiefly on 

 the arrivals of migrants and on nidification at Elveden 

 and elsewhere, and was becoming an adept at discovering 

 birds'-nests. This power he obtained by close observation of 

 the habits of the different species, and no warrener could 

 surpass him in the way in which, by watching the birds, he 

 could find their nests or make them show him where their 

 nests were. This he did as a true naturalist, for the love of 

 watching liis favourites and learning their ways, much more 

 than with the object of taking their eggs. The writer well 

 remembers, when, in later years, during a walk with him. 

 Sir Edward suddenly turned round and stood still. On 

 being asked what was the matter, he replied, '' Do you not 

 see that Stonechat in the bush ahead ? She has a nest, and 

 we will find it. Do not face her.'' He stood sideways for 

 some minutes, but never lost sight of the bird, and pre- 

 sently walked on straight to the spot, where, at once, he 

 showed the nest with eggs. He was the best field-naturalist 

 the writer ever knew, as regards the actions and movements 

 of any bird. It seemed to be with him a sort of instinct. 



New^ton proceeded in due course to Magdalene College, 

 Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. in 1857, all the while 

 extending his knowledge, especially of the inhabitants of the 

 marshes accessible from Cambridge. The next year he 

 visited the paternal estates in the West Indies, and was in 

 the island of St. Croix from 4th March to 28th Sept., 1858. 

 The results of this visit are recorded in a series of four 



