284 BRITISH BIRDS. 



where the desert was. " Desert ? " exclaimed, the driver. 

 "Yes," said Sharpe. "The place where I can retire to 

 for prayer and meditation." " Oh," replied cabby, 

 " I can't say as I knows where the desert is, but the 

 Oratory is close by and handy, sir." 



I could mention many other anecdotes of his love of 

 fun, but the space at my disposal will not allow. He was 

 blessed with a wonderfully retentive memory. His ability 

 to recite at length verses and quotations suitable to the 

 occasion, and his store of anecdotes and reminiscences 

 were truly amazing. He was a good sportsman, very 

 fond of a day's fishing or shooting, played cricket up to 

 an age beyond that at which most men give up the game, 

 and for a man of his build possessed wonderful agility, 

 whether playing tennis or other games. In his early days 

 he used to be very fond of watching and collecting birds — 

 one of his favourite haunts being Pagham Harbour. 



For many years Sharpe was a familiar figure at the 

 Savage Club, of which he was a very old and most popular 

 member, occasionally presiding at the Saturday house enter- 

 tainments, when the fact of his being in the chair always 

 attracted a large audience. He was also a member of 

 another well-known literary coterie — the Whitefriars 

 Club, which elected him to an honorary fellowship a few 

 years before his death. 



It is, perhaps, not inappropriate to suggest here that 

 the many friends and co-workers of Dr. Sharpe may wish 

 to put on record in some simple yet permanent form the 

 high regard and affection they entertained for him. 

 A memorial bronze tablet, with suitable inscription, might 

 be placed, with the permission of the Trustees of the 

 British Museum in the Bird Room of the Natural History 

 Museum, where he spent so many hours of his life in 

 unremitting labour for the good of the Institution. But, 

 after all, the wonderful collection which he loved so well 

 and did so much to build up will remain for all posterity 

 the best monument to his life's work, and his successors 

 may be trusted to see to it that nothing is done either 



