Vol. XIII. 

 igi4 



J Obituary Notice, 23 1 



natural history. His most engrossing duties were in connection 

 with the Zoological Society of London, to which, as principal 

 executive officer, he, of course, devoted most of his time. It is 

 conceded by all that its affairs prospered well under his direction. 

 The number of Fellows of the Society, about 1,700 in 1859, 

 increased to over 3,000. The income of the Society", which in 

 1858 was a little over ;^i4,ooo, rose to £30,000. Besides this, 

 nearly all of the principal buildings in the Society's Gardens were 

 rebuilt and fitted up with every sort of modern convenience for 

 animals. The old office building (No. 11 Hanover-square) was 

 sold, and was replaced by a much larger and more convenient 

 house (No. 3 Hanover-square) in the same vicinity. A debt of 

 ;^i 2,000 was paid off, and the house became the freehold property 

 of the Society without any sort of encumbrance. The first floor 

 of the Society's house was devoted to the accommodation of a 

 large and very valuable zoological library, under the care of a 

 librarian and his assistant, and was the constant resort of the 

 working zoologists of the metropolis. This library had been 

 almost entirely accumulated since 1859. Sclater was also 

 instrumental in the adoption of that important work, ' The 

 Zoological Record,' by the Society. 



" Sclater, as already mentioned, was selected by the British 

 Ornithologists' Union as the first editor of its journal, The Ibis, 

 in 1859. He finished the first series in 1864. Professor Newton 

 took his place as editor of the second series, and Osbert Salvin as 

 editor of the third. In 1877 Sclater was associated with Salvin 

 as editor of the fourth series, and in 1883 commenced the editor- 

 ship of the fifth series, with Howard Saunders as co-editor. When 

 the fifth series was completed, in 1888, he became sole editor of 

 the sixth, which he finished in 1894. In 1895, having again 

 obtained the assistance of Howard Saunders, he commenced work 

 on the seventh series, and finished it in 1900. Taking A. H. 

 Evans as co-editor, he completed the eighth series in 1906, and 

 the ninth series in 1912. 



" When the British Ornithologists' Club was established, in 

 1892, he joined heartily in the movement inaugurated by Dr. 

 R. Bowdler Sharpe, and was elected chairman. He was most 

 regular in his attendance at the monthly meetings, occupying the 

 chair and delivering an inaugural address at the commencement 

 of each session. 



" With the British Association for the Advancement of Science 

 Sclater had a long connection, having become a member in 1847, 

 at the second Oxford meeting, and having attended its meetings, 

 with few exceptions, for many years. For several years he was 

 secretary of Section D, and at the Bristol meeting, in 1875, he 

 was president of that section, and delivered an address, ' On the 

 Present State of our Knowledge of Geographical Zoology.' In 

 1876 he was elected one of the two general secretaries of the 

 Association, together mth Sir Douglas Galton, and served in that 

 capacity for five years, thereby becoming an ex officio member 



