254 Notes and News. moa 
HeinricH GATKE, an Honorary Member of the American Ornitholo 
gists’ Union, died at his home on the little island of Helgoland, on 
January 1, 1897, at the advanced age of nearly 84 years. He was an artist 
' by profession, and visited Helgoland when twenty-three years of age for 
the purpose of making marine studies, and soon after was married there 
and made the island his life residence. He appears to have been early 
interested in birds, and soon after settling in Helgoland, he began to 
collect specimens and to make the observations on the migrations of 
birds, which have since made both Herr Gitke and the island of Helgo- 
land famous in the annals of ornithology. Although he published many 
notes and minor papers on the birds of Helgoland, and on molting and 
color-change in birds, the ornithological results of his life work are com- 
prised in his ‘ Vogelwarte Helgoland,’ published in 1890 (see Auk, VIII, 
1891, pp. 299, 300), and republished in English in 1895 (see Auk, XII, 
1895, pp- 322-346, and XIII, 1896, pp. 137-153). As this work has already 
been noticed at length in this journal, further comment is not necessary 
in the present connection. Suffice it to say that while his observations, 
covering a period of fifty years, on the birds of Helgoland, and particularly 
on their migrations, are of the utmost value, his deductions and conclu- 
sions based thereon are not equally trustworthy, owing doubtless to the 
very limited extent of the area under observation and the lack of 
experience elsewhere. The following is from a recent sketch of Gatke by 
Mr. H. E. Dresser, published in ‘The Zoologist’ (March, 1897, p. 140). 
“Of very tall and commanding presence, with flowing hair and beard, 
. Giitke possessed an extremely genial and pleasant manner, and was 
an interesting companion. Always ready to impart information, he 
placed his notes most unreservedly at the disposal of any ornithologist 
who visited the island. . . . Although of German origin [he was ‘‘ born 
at Pritzwalk, Mark Brandenburg” ], he spoke and wrote English like an 
Englishman, and was in some respects even more English than German. 
“«'Those who have known and learnt to appreciate his sterling worth 
will grieve deeply for him; but though he has gone his work remains, and 
his ‘ Vogelwarte Helgoland’ will stand as a monument of industry and 
careful observation, carried on during a longfand useful life. His intel- 
lect remained unimpaired to the last few days, and his end was a most 
peaceful one, carefully tended as he was by his devoted family.” 
CAPTAIN PLATTE M. THORNE, U. S. A., an Associate Member of the 
American Ornithologists’ Union, died at his home in Rochester, N. Y., 
March 16, 1897, after a short illness from a complication of ailments, at 
the age of 59 years. He was born in Poughkeepsie, N. Y., and was a son 
of Judge Thorne of that city. In 1861 he enlisted at the head of the One 
Hundred and Fiftieth New York Volunteers, and served with distinction 
throughout the Civil War, being at one time on the staff of General 
Slocum, and later Acting Inspector- -General to General Sheridan. At the 
close of the war he was brevetted Lieutenant- Colonel for faithful and 
