318 Notes and News. Iwii 



L April 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



On the 27th of January last t be Union suffered the loss of one of its most 

 distinguished and universally beloved foreign representatives. There 

 passed away upon that date Professor Robert Collett, the Director of the 

 Natural History Museum of Christiania, Norway, an author of many 

 works, and a Corresponding Fellow of the American Ornithologists' Union 

 since L883. 



Prof. Collett was born in Christiania on the 2d of December, 1842, and 

 consequently lie was, at the time of his death, in his 71st year. He was 

 connected with many distinguished people of his own country, being the 

 oldest son of Professor P. J. Collett and the widely known authoress Camilla 

 Collett. 



From his earliest boyhood his entire nature exhibited the unmistakable 

 evidences of the coming naturalist, and, although never of a robust physique, 

 or of the strenuous type, he won his title to fame through his supreme 

 gentleness of manner and bearing, as well as through his nobleness of 

 character and sterling qualities. 



Academically, he received his education at the University of Christiania, 

 while upon the other hand his ever increasing fund of knowledge was 

 directly attributable to the tuition of that teacher of all teachers of every 

 naturalist — Mother Nature. 



His early attainments soon won position for him; in 1871 he became 

 assistant curator of the Zoological Museum of Christiania, and three years 

 later full curator of that institution. His country, too. was quick to 

 recognize the marked value of his first contributions to the literature of 

 zoological science, and, as his various works were published — chiefly on 

 the Norwegian faunae -honors, in the way of medals ami degrees, were 

 frequently bestowed upon him. 



He became Director of the Zoological Museum of Christiania in 18S2, 

 and two years thereafter Professor of Zoology at the University. 



Collet t's first published paper dealt with the avifauna of the region in 

 which tlu^ city of Christiania is situated, and this, as time went on, was 

 followed by numerous and substantial contributions to almost every de- 

 partment of zoology, including the science of morphology. One of his 

 best known achievements in the latter direction was a monograph upon the 

 structure of the external parts of the ears of the Strigida;. Professor 

 Collett also gave us a number of excellent popular works upon Norwegian 

 ornithology, and was a constant contributor to the zoological periodicals 

 of his own and other countries, 



Prof. Collett built up a superb anil well stocked museum at Norway's 

 capital. He published only recently an elegant volume on the Mammalia 

 of his country, and at the time of his death was engaged upon the Keptilia; 

 indeed, it was his intention to so treat the entire vertebrate fauna of Nor- 

 way. — R. W . S. 



