Obituary. Gfil 



cave of Riibeland (Harz Mountains), He also publislied 

 many articles of a more local character. In fact he liad 

 astonishing working powers, unfortunately rather too much 

 distributed. Distinguished by the title of " Geheimer 

 Ilofrat/' Wilhelm lilasius was also honoured with the 

 membership of many scientific societies. In 1892 the 

 University of Padua elected him a Doctor j^hilosophice. 

 For many years he belonged to the committee of tlie 

 '^ Deutsche Ornithologen Gesellschaft " ; in 1904 he was 

 made a Foreign ^Member of the B. O. U. ; he was also 

 Corresponding .Member of the Zoological Society of London. 

 All who knew him, and he had many good friends, will 

 de|)li:re his deatli, as he was much beloved I)y his relatives 

 and had a large circle of acquaintances. 



Eraunscliweig, July 1912. O. F. 



Mr. Alla.x Octavian Hume, C.B. 

 Better known to the worhl in general, perhaps, as a some- 

 what eccentric politician than as a Naturalist, xlllan Hume 

 deserves ample recognition as the donor of one of the 

 most important gifts ever made to our National ^luseum of 

 Natural History. 



He was born in June 18.29, one of the six children of 

 Joseph Hume, the well-known radical M.P. of former davs, 

 commonly called " Joey Hume." At the age of twenty 

 young Hume passed out of the East India College at Ilailey- 

 bury into tlie Indian Civil Service, and was sent oft' to the 

 North-^Yest Provinces. His merits were quickly detected, 

 and when the great mutiny broke out we find him acting as 

 Collector of Etawah, between Agra and Cawnpore. After a 

 hard struggle with the mutineers, it was found necessary to 

 abandon the head-quarters and much fighting ensued, but 

 the district was ultimately pacified, and Hume returned to 

 Etawahj and retained his post there for the ne.xt ten years. 

 His conduct throughout this period was highly approved 

 of, and was rewarded by the C.B. in 1862. After this 

 Hume filled various high posts in the Home, Revenue, and 

 Agricultural Departments of the Indian Service at Simla, 



