Vol i9 ** IV ] Notes and News. 461 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



Dr. William LaGrange Ralph, a Member of the American Ornitho- 

 logical Union, died in Washington, D. C, on July 8, 1907, of a complication 

 of organic heart and kidney lesions in the fifty-seventh year of his age. 

 He leaves a widow, an adopted daughter, Katharine Louise, and two 

 brothers, G. Fred Ralph and Henry Ralph. He was born in Holland 

 Patent, N. Y., June 19, 1851, and remained there until 1863 when he 

 moved with his parents to Utica. In the dozen years of early life spent 

 among the fields and woods of his native home and surrounded on all 

 sides by a rich and- ever varying assortment of bird life, the seed of his 

 future love for ornithology was sown and gradually ripened as time went 

 on. He often spent the greater part of his vacations and holidays at 

 Holland Patent with his grandfather, who, as an ardent sportsman and 

 in a general way an interested observer of all birds, encouraged the boy 

 by precept and example to look for the many secrets which Nature held in 

 store for him. Here he began to watch the birds construct their nests and 

 to levy an occasional egg from them to add to his rudimentary collection. 

 He received his preliminary education from the schools of Utica and 

 Whitestone Seminary, and in 1879 completed his studies and secured his 

 medical degree at the college of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia 

 University, New York City. Later in the same year he began to practice 

 his profession in Utica, but owing to delicate health resulting from a 

 weakened heart he gave up this exacting work and returned to a more 

 quiet life. He evidently was glad of the opportunity to renew his research 

 in ornithology which had been held somewhat in abeyance during his 

 college life. Fortunately, being of independent means, he was able to 

 devote unlimited time to study and to field work, which primarily was 

 carried on among the rarer and more interesting birds of Oneida Count v 

 and later was extended to much broader fields. Within a comparatively 

 short time, through his own efforts and those of trained collectors, and by 

 purchase, the foundation of a collection of eggs was formed which subse- 

 quently became one of the most valuable private collections in the country. 

 During the summer much of his time was spent with the birds in the North- 

 ern woods, while in winter and spring the marshes and forests of Florida 

 were explored in search of interesting nests and eggs. 



When Major Bendire planned to write the 'Life Histories of North 

 American Birds' he was well equipped, so far as western birds were con- 

 cerned, but was sorely in need of reliable detailed information regarding 

 the nesting habits of some of the rarer eastern species. This data in part, 

 Doctor Ralph was able to furnish and in many places pages of almost 

 literal quotation from his field notes may be found in this most valuable 

 standard work. Major Bendire acknowledged in Ins introduction indebted- 

 ness for this material assistance. 



Although Doctor Ralph gathered full notes and frequently was quoted 



