242 Obituary. 



Emu 

 [St April 



used to watch particular birds' nests containing various Cuckoo 

 eggs to see what species the strange Qgg would hatch out. 



Amongst the mourners were Mr. J. H. Maiden, I.S.O., Director 

 of the Botanic Gardens, Sydney ; Mr. Chas. Hedley, F.L.S., repre- 

 senting the Australian Museum, of which the deceased was erst- 

 while Curator ; there were also representatives present from the 

 Technological Museum, the Royal Society of New South Wales, 

 Australian Historical Society, and many notable persons. 



The late Dr. E. P. Ramsay was born at Dobroyde House 

 74 years ago. He was educated at St. Mark's School, Macquarie 

 Fields, and afterwards at Darhng Point, under the Rev. G. S. 

 Macarthur. Later he entered the Sydney University. For a time 

 Dr. Ramsay was engaged in managing the Dobroyde Nursery, on 

 the estate of his father, but he and his brothers finally entered 

 upon a scheme of sugar-growing in Queensland, in which under- 

 taking they were successful. 



When Dr. Pittard was the Curator of the Australian Museum 

 in Sydney, Dr. Ramsay travelled in New South Wales and Queens- 

 land, notably the Cardwell district, October, 1873, in search of 

 specimens suitable for the Museum. In 1874 the curatorship of 

 the Museum was vacant, and Dr. Ramsay was appointed to the 

 position, a post he filled with much success until 1895, when he 

 was compelled to retire through ill-health. His retirement was 

 a great disappointment to his friends. As Baron von Mueller 

 was great amongst botanists, it was thought that Ramsay would 

 become a " Mueller " amongst ornithologists. However, Dr. 

 Ramsay retained until his death the appointment of consulting 

 ornithologist to the Museum, and during that time wrote many 

 manuscripts pertaining to ornithology, which it is hoped the 

 trustees of the institation may soon publish. There is no more 

 popular nature study in Australia than its birds. 



While natural history was the chief branch of his scientific 

 research, Dr. Ramsay took a keen interest in the advancement 

 of science generally. His early love for botany found expression 

 in the Dobroyde new plant nursery, through which a large number 

 of plants were first introduced to Australia. Bird and animal 

 life also largely claimed his attention, and he worked in col- 

 laboration with the late Sir Richard Owen (England) on the 

 extinct animals of Australia, among which were discovered the 

 giant kangaroo and marsupial " lion." Dr. Ramsay was 

 requested by John Gould to guard his Australian interests in his 

 famous folio work, " Birds of Australia." 



In the work of furthering the advancement of science in Aus- 

 tralia, Dr. Ramsay was, together with Sir William Macleay, one 

 of the founders of the Linnean Society. When a lad he was also 

 the treasurer of the old Philosophical Society, which finally 

 merged into the Royal Society of to-day. As a reward for his 

 labours in this direction Dr. Ramsay was created a life member 

 of the Royal Society. Dr. Ramsay was closely associated with 

 scientific societies in Great Britain. He was a Fellow of the 



