RICHARD BOWDLER SHARPE. 279 



(General), and the Gould series of Humming-birds. 

 Sharpe's personality and enthusiasm were, of course, an 

 important element in inducing the generous owners to 

 make their munificent donations — how largely responsible 

 he was for some of these gifts may be seen in the following 

 extract from a letter written by Mr. A. O. Hume in July, 

 1885, offering his splendid collection of Indian birds and 

 eggs as a present to the nation : " Should this collection 

 form as valuable an addition to the British Museum as 

 I hope it may, I trust that it may not be forgotten that 

 its acquisition by the Museum has been solely due to the 

 fact that Mr. Sharpe was at the head of the Ornithological 

 branch of that Institution." The Hume collection 

 consisted of about 82,000 specimens, of which 75,577 

 skins and eggs, including 258 types, were placed in the 

 Museum cabinets. 



On the request of Mr. Hume, Dr. Sharpe was deputed 

 by the Trustees to go to Simla to pack and bring home 

 the collection. He left England on the 24tb of April, 

 reached Simla on the 1 9th of May, and was back in London 

 on the 10th of August, having packed and despatched 

 from India forty cases, weighing half-a-ton each, and 

 bringing with him thirty-eight cases more. He accom- 

 plished his mission within four months of leaving England, 

 and in a shorter space of time than had seemed possible 

 to Mr. Hume. 



Dr. Sharpe has himself recorded that he considered 

 the gift of the Hume collection was one of the most 

 splendid donations of the kind ever made to the nation. 



We may also quote from a letter written in May, 1888, 

 by Colonel Wardlaw Ramsay, in reference to his generous 

 donation of the magnificent collection of Asiatic birds 

 formed by the Marquess of Tweeddale. In writing to 

 Sharpe he says : " I gave it [the collection] to the Museum 

 solely because you were there, and therefore I felt I might 

 have perfect confidence that it would be done justice to." 



That at this period of his life, after years of unswerving 

 labour, his services were meeting with some appreciation 



