$04 



NA^l^HE 



[JUJ>IE 17, 1920 



Members of the conference. ha,d the privilege of 

 attending meetings of the Linoean,, Zoological^ a,r^d 

 Entomological Societies, as, well as the Staff Con-, 

 versazione at the Natural History Museum, These 

 gatherings, in addition to the three whole-day excur- 

 si9ns to Rothamsted, Oxford, and Cambridge, gave 

 welcome opportunity for informal discussion and 

 pleasant social intercourse. Much gratification was 

 felt and expressed at the presence for the first two 

 days of Dr. L. O. Howard, Entomologist of the U.S. 

 Department of Agriculture. His brief, pointed remarks 

 at some of the discussions were much appreciated ;. 

 he deplored some recent attempts to destroy "entomo- 

 logy " as a specific economic subject by dividing its 

 subject-matter between "parasitology" and "phyto- 

 pathology." All who participated in the conference 

 appreciated the untiring efforts of Dr. G. A. K. 

 Marshall and Dr. S. A. Neave, of the Imperial 

 Bureau, who before and durjng the meetings did 

 their utmost for the success of the gathering. 



On the evening of the closing day the members of 

 the conference were entertained to dinner at Lan- 

 caster House by H.M. Government, Viscount Har- 

 court presiding. Thus was pleasantly and fittingly 

 demonstrated the increasing recognition of the im- 

 portance of the study and practice of science in rela- 

 tion to the interests and industries of the Empire. 



G. H. C. 



The Selous Memorial at the Natural 

 History Museum. 



THE movement started in 1917 to perpetuate the 

 memory of the late Capt. F. C. Selous, D.S.O., 

 by a national memorial achieved its aim on Thursday, 

 June 10, when Mr. Edward North Buxton, vice-chair- 

 man of the Memorial Committee, himself a great 

 hunter in his day, in the unavoidable absence of the 

 chairman, the Right Hon. E. S. Montagu, M.P., un- 

 veiled at the Natural History Museum, South 

 Kensington, a bronze bust of Selous — the work of 

 Mr. W. R. Colton, R.A. — before a distinguished and 

 representative gathering. 



The bust is mounted in a niche of grey granite from 

 the Matoppo Hills, the burial-place of Cecil Rhodes 

 and Sir Starr Jameson, and is the gift of the Union 

 Government of South Africa. It was brought to this 

 country by the Union Castle Line free of all charges. 

 Below the bust is a bas-relief, also in bronze, depict- 

 ing a lion and lioness, and in the distance an 

 elephant, a situtunga, and other big-game animals, 

 symbolical of the interests of the great sportsman 

 and explorer. The granite bears the inscription : 

 "Captain Frederick C. Selous, D.S.O., hunter, 

 explorer, and naturalist. Born 1853. Killed in action 

 at Beho-Beho, German East Africa, 4. i. 1917." 



Mr. Buxton in his speech referred to the qualities 

 of Selous which Had endeared hirh to so many 

 friends, and summarised these when he said that 

 *' Selous was a great hunter; and a still greater 

 gentlerrian." On behalf of the committee he asked 

 Viscount Grey of Fallodon, 'K.G., arid the other 

 trustees of the museurn to accept' the merriorial and 

 to preserve it in the museum for all posterity. 



In his reply Lord Grey stated that In the museum, 

 which was ■ a national institution, this national 

 memorial would be kept and honoured as a memorial 

 to one who tvas a great explorer, a great traveller, a 

 great hunter,' and, besides that; a' most brave and 

 single-minded and attractive character. 



The King sent a message to the effect that he' felt 

 that no moi-e' appropriate place than the Natural" 

 History Museum could be selected for a memorial' to' 

 Capt. F. C. Selous. 



NO, 2642, VOL. 105] 



It IS indeed in tne titnescj of things that this 

 menional should have fpiincl^^ permanent place .in 

 the museum; for,"^ next to liis..own home, there w^s 

 no place in England which more attracted Selous than 

 the museum, and when he was in this country he 

 seldom kept away from it for moi-e than a week; 

 sometimes he was a daily visitor. 



A guard of honour composed of officers and men 

 of the Legion of Frontiersmen, many of whom had 

 served with Selous in East Africa, and a detachment 

 of the Kensington Division of Boy Scouts were 

 present. 



The response to the committee's appeal for funds 

 for the memorial has been so widespread and generous 

 that they have been able to provide a sum of money 

 for the foundation of a substantial Selous scholarship 

 at his old school, Rugby, on the basis that preference 

 will be given at each election to the sons of officers 

 who have fallen in the war, and in this connection 



The Selous Memorial Bust in the Natural History Museum. On the right 

 hand side of the memorial, not shown hefe, is the following inscrip- 

 tion :-^'' Captain Frederick C. Selous, D.S.O., hunter, explorer, and 

 naturalist. Born 1853, Killed in action at Beho-Beho, German East 

 Africa, 4.1.1917." 



it is with special satisfaction that we learn that in 

 the examination for the scholarship a love and know- 

 ledge of natural history on the part of the candidate 

 will be the deciding factor. 



A few words may be said respecting Mrs. Selous's 

 gift to the nation of her husband's splendid collection 

 of big-game trophies • and of birds' eggs,- a gift for 

 which Viscount Grey, on behalf of the trustees, con- 

 veyed to the donor his warm thanks, and at the. 

 same time expressed his high appreciation of its 

 value and importance. ■ 



The col'ections have now been received at the Natural 

 History Milseum, and the big-^ame specimens are 

 in course' of being catalogued bv Mr. Guy Dollman. 

 We understand 'thaMt is -the 'intention of the trustees, 

 to oublish this catalogue, a work whjch.,cannot fail 



