54 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. xin. 



Natural History Society's Transactions for 1917 and 1918 on 

 " The Little Owl in Somerset " and " The Heronries of Somer- 

 set " and these display something of the care with which he per- 

 sonally verified all records, so far as lay in his power. His 

 energy was directed towards gaining a first-hand personal know- 

 ledge of the present avifauna of the county and also towards 

 verifying the records of the past, discovering the whereabouts 

 of rare stuffed Somerset birds, and persuading the owners to 

 present these to the Taunton Castle Museum. In all these 

 directions he had already achieved a large measure of success, 

 and the expeditions he undertook on foot over the Quantocks, 

 Exmoor, along the coast-line, and elsewhere in the county 

 would have taxed the strength of many a younger man. 



The writer of this notice, who some eighteen years ago com- 

 piled the list of Somerset birds for the Victoria County History 

 series, first came in touch with Dr. Wiglesworth through 

 correspondence early in igi6, and first met him the following 

 year. It was evidently Dr. Wiglesworth's intention, though 

 he does not seem to have declared it very definitely, to publish 

 a book on the Birds of Somerset, and the writer has a pile of 

 correspondence which passed between him and the late Doctor 

 during the last three years. A good book on the birds of the 

 county is much needed, and many were looking for^vard to the 

 day when such a work should be published under the guidance 

 of Dr. Wiglesworth. It is much to be hoped that his notes 

 and records are sufficiently written and collected to make this 

 work still possible. 



But what of the man himself ? His widow, to whom our 

 deep sj'mpathy goes out, as the only child, a son in the R.A.F., 

 was killed in a flying accident during the war, informs the 

 writer that his most intimate friends were medical men, who 

 are writing about his medical work. May the present writer 

 give a characteristic example of his love of field-work among 

 the birds ? It was June 13th, IQ17. We had planned to meet 

 at a wayside station to explore the osier beds in the Somerset 

 headquarters of the Marsh- Warbler. On looking out of the 

 train the writer saw Wiglesworth on the platform, and so was 

 about to alight. " Don't get out," he exclaimed with the 

 enthusiasm of a boy, " we will go on to the next station, I know 

 a better place, and I have got your ticket." And then for the 

 next few hours we spoke and thought of little else but birds. 

 Everything else might have ceased to exist, unless it were 

 the lovely roses in the cottage gardens, for Wiglesworth had 

 a passion for flowers as well. Soon we were in the midst of 

 the Marsh-Warbler's haunts. Several pairs were about, and 



