1922.] Obituary. 347 



agency at Zanzibar. He soon rose to become Consul-General, 

 and it was tlirough tbe influeuce he exercised over the Sultan, 

 Sayyid Bargash, that lie became the arbiter and virtual 

 sovereign of the dominions of Zanzibar, which extended 

 over the greater part of eastern Africa. Though he did 

 little more collecting himself, he sent collectors to Lamu, 

 Melindi, Usainbara, and Ugogo, and himself again visited 

 the Comoro Islands. The biids obtained on these occasions 

 were worked out by the late Capt. Shelley (Proc. Zool. Soc. 

 1879, p. 673, and 1881, p. 561). He also assisted in every 

 way the many British travellers and scientific explorers, 

 such as Sir Joseph Thomson, Sir Harry Johnston, and 

 Stanley, who made Zanzibar the base of their operations. 

 His political and antislavery work needs no mention 

 here. 



After his retirement in 1887 Sir John Kirk made several 

 other journeys to Africa, the last one on the completion of 

 the Uganda railway, when he was conducted in state up to 

 Lake Victoria, which was only discovered by Speke in the 

 year in wliich Kirk first went to Africa. 



Many honours came to Kirk : he was created G.C.M.G. 

 in 1886. was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1887, 

 and was Foreign Secretary of the lloyal Geographical 

 Society from 189Ji till 1911, when he resigned at tlie age 

 of 80. He also received honours from Oxford and Cam- 

 bridge, as well as from his own University of Edinburgh. 

 Many animals and plants bear his name, which has been 

 attached to birds of the genera Crateropus, Cinnyris, Franco- 

 linus, and Zosterops among others. 



Of quiet and unassuming manner, Sir John Kirk was 

 none the less a man of firmness and courage. His sense of 

 humour and kindliness endeared him to all those who had 

 to do with him, and he will always be remembered as one 

 of the greatest of public servants who have made the name 

 of Englishmen or, better, Scotsmen respected throughout 

 the world. 



