i88i3 An Early Honor 



Giinther had the reputation of being a crusty CrUk 

 critic, sometimes needlessly severe on the sHps, real ^"/^ , 

 or apparent, of his contemporaries, not even sparing 

 the masters. Dr. Pieter Bleeker of Java, most in- 

 dustrious of field naturalists, and Dr. Gill, most dis- 

 criminating critic of the literature of science. But 

 toward me he was always kind and considerate, as 

 well as to my students, some of whom (Eigenmann 

 and Edwin C. Starks especially) used to go to see 

 him whenever they were in London. In 1881 he 

 made an effort toward keeping me permanently 

 with him as assistant curator of fishes. At the 

 time, however, he was not able to secure the neces- 

 sary funds, and afterward Dr. George A. Boulen- 

 ger of the Brussels Museum accepted the position 

 in question. I have often thought, though without 

 regret, how different my life story would have 

 been had I settled down in the British Museum. 

 In 1913, on the occasion of my last visit to Dr. 

 Giinther at his home in Kew Gardens, I found him 

 almost blind but still intellectually active and in- 

 terested. 



[In 1883, the first great International Fisheries inter- 

 Congress was held in London. Being then at work ff^'^^/il^ 

 in the Museum I took part in the meetings, also Congress 

 making (at Baird's suggestion) an exhibit of all my 

 fish publications, nicely bound in red morocco. 

 These earned me the highest award, a gold medal, 

 with a large engraved diploma signed by Albert 

 Edward — then Prince of Wales — president of the 

 Congress. As this was the first and the most im- 

 portant of several more or less similar honors, I 

 venture to record it here.] 



C 271 3 



