264 Obituary Notice. [.st^A^ril 



country, but those of Africa have always been a favourite 

 subject of investigation with him, while one of his best-known 

 works is his edition of Layard's ' Birds of South Africa.' " 



An Australian appreciation of the deceased ornithologist, 

 by Mr. Tom Carter, of Western Australia, Avill be read with 

 interest : — 



" My acquaintance with the late Dr. R. Bowdler Sharpe dates 

 back to about 1885, when the late Henry Seebohm introduced 

 me to him. He had then recently returned from India, bringing 

 back the famous Hume collections, part of which he showed us 

 then being unpacked. I had the pleasure of meeting him on 

 many subsequent occasions, the last being on 17th November 

 last year, when I lunched and had a chat with him, two days 

 before my return to Australia. He then seemed well and 

 hearty, and, as he always was, full of enthusiasm and glad to 

 see any ornithologist and learn of anything fresh about birds in 

 any part of the world. He was of a genial disposition, without 

 any ostentation, and, although he always had an immense 

 amount of work on hand, he would cheerfully put it aside to 

 inspect and discuss any new bird specimen. I have known him 

 rise at an ornithological meeting and speak on behalf of an 

 ornithologist (then long passed away) who had been referred to 

 in a disparaging manner by one present, although his (Sharpe's) 

 own views did not at all agree with those of the absent one. Dr. 

 Sharpe was always ready to help and encourage any beginner 

 in the often perplexing study of bird-life, and if he (Sharpe) did 

 make a mistake on any point he would willingly admit it. With 

 his unrivalled capacity for work and world-wide knowledge of 

 birds, his place will indeed be hard to fill." 



Besides his wonderful personality, which endeared him to 

 almost everyone he came in contact with, he was a giant at work. 

 It would occupy about four pages of The Emu, closely printed, 

 to enumerate all his works, but the following may be cited as of 

 most interest to Australian students, namely : — 



" Catalogue of Birds." Of the twenty-seven volumes of this 

 classical reference work he wrote eleven, while he was co-author 

 of two others. 



" Handlist of the Genera and Species of Birds," vols. i.-v. 



" Monograph of the Birds-of-Paradise and Bower-Birds," folio, 

 parts i.-viii. 



" Report on the Collections of Natural History made in the 

 Antarctic Regions during the Voyage of the SoutJiern Cross : 

 Aves." 



" The Birds of New Guinea and the adjacent Papuan 

 Islands, including any New Species that may be discovered 

 in Australia," folio, parts 13-35 (completed after John Gould's 

 death). 



