Obiluanj. G43 



1829^ at Tangier Park, in Hampsliire, then tlie residence 

 of liis father, JNIr. William Lutley Sclater, J. P. ; but his 

 boyhood was passed at Hoddington House, another estate in 

 the same county, also belonging to his father, to which the 

 family moved in the mouth of September 1833. 



lu beautiful Han)pshire, uot far from the old home of 

 Gilbert AYhite, Sclater acquired, at au early age, a love for 

 outdoor life and exercise and a special taste for the study 

 of birds. At the age of ten he was sent to a well-knowu 

 school at Twyford, near Winchester ; in 1842 he left for 

 Winchester College, and iu 1845 was elected Scholar of 

 Corpus Christi College, Oxford. Being tit that time under 

 sixteen years of age, he was not called into residence until 

 Easter, 1816. At the University his attention was given 

 principally to mathematics, though his spare time was 

 oemipied by the study of birds, and of the excellent series of 

 natural-history books then in the lladclifFe Library. 



Hugh E. Strickland, the well-known ornithologist, who 

 was at that time resident in Oxford as Reader in Geology, 

 became interested in young Sclater, and it was at his house 

 that he met John Gould, shortly after his return from his 

 great journey to Australia. Erom Strickland he received 

 his first instruction in scientific ornithology. He began his 

 collection of bird-skins at Oxford, making British skins for 

 himself, and buying foreign specimens whenever he had tlie 

 o})portunity. 



In December 1849, he took the Degree of Bachelor of 

 Arts, obtaining a first class in the mathematical school and 

 a " pass " in classics. At that time these were the onlj^ two 

 recognised subjects for study in the University, no sort of 

 encouragement being given to Natural Science. After 

 taking his degree Sclater remained iu Oxford for two years, 

 devoting his time principally to Natural History. He also 

 gave much attention to modern languages, studying them 

 Avith masters at home and always visiting the Continent in 

 vacation-time, and thus soon made himself familiar with 

 French, German, and Italian. 



At this period of his life he was often iu Paris, studying 



