LIFE OF FLOWER 25 



were heavily taxed by exhausting scientific work. His 

 powerful constitution was thus slowly but surely sapped, 

 yet to an eager mind and a generous heart, such as his, 

 little heed was paid to himself. 



" Taken all in all, we shall not soon see so talented 

 and so accurate a comparative anatomist, so impressive 

 a speaker, so facile an artist, or a public man with a 

 higher type of character." 



The zoological and anthropological side of Sir William's 

 work (with which the present writer is more competent 

 to deal than he is with his social relations and character) 

 is discussed at length in later chapters of this memoir ; 

 but a few observations may be here introduced on sub- 

 jects which scarcely come within the category of purely 

 scientific work. 



At intervals during his life-time Flower communicated 

 a considerable number of letters to the Times and other 

 journals on topics more or less intimately connected with 

 animals and animal life. His sympathy with the crusade 

 against the tight bearing-rein, initiated by his father, 

 has already received mention. Equally marked was his 

 sympathy with the movement against the wearing by 

 ladies of the plumage of birds (other than game-birds, 

 etc.), and more especially the so-called " osprey plumes " 

 really the breeding-plumes of the egrets and white 

 herons -in the so-called decoration of their bonnets and 

 hats. The extreme cruelty involved at least in the 

 case of the " osprey s" in this practice, which entails 

 the destruction of the birds during the nesting-season, 

 when these nuptial plumes are alone donned, and con- 

 sequently in many instances the destruction of the help- 



