i FEBRUARY 12, 1914] 
Miller, so that, after graduating as M.A, and. 
whe: 
Ph.D., and studying at Berlin and Bonn, 
by and by became M.D. of Tiibingen. Moreover, 
_ he,.as acitizen of Prussia, did his share of military 
duties, and acquired the skill in the use of fire- 
arms that made him so. good a 
in field and cover. He also ‘published an 
account of the “Fishes of the Neckar,” and a 
“Handbook of Medical Zoology’ visiting 
London théreafter in 1856. 
Dr. Giinther’s writings had attracted the atten- 
tion of Sir Richard Owen, and when they met in 
the British Museum, a friendship sprang up be- 
tween them, the result of which was that he was 
ere long placed in charge of the fishes, amphibia, 
and reptiles in the museum. - Few men could 
more conspicuously have justified the choice thus 
made, both by his contributions to systematic 
zoology and his capacity for administration. Thus’ 
settled at his favourite pursuits and surrounded 
by congenial companions, there issued from his 
pen a great landmark in zoology, viz. his ten 
volumes on Colubrine snakes, Batrachia salientia, 
and fishes; and, in addition, the Ray Society 
issued his fine volume on the “ Reptiles of British 
India.” His and Sir Lambert Playfair’s beauti- 
fully illustrated work on the. fishes ‘of Zanzibar 
next appeared. With a critical eye to artistic 
work he had enlisted the aid of that lithographer 
facile princeps, G. H. Ford, so that almost all 
his papers’ and’ works were illustrated by this 
‘skilful yet delicate artist till his death in the 
’seventies. To the Royal, Linnean, and 
Zoological Societies he contributed a long list of 
important papers, both systematic and structural, 
such as his well-known memoirs on Bereepns and 
Hatteria (Sphenodon). 
But the foregoing give only a partial view of 
the results of Dr. Giinther’s well-directed energy, 
laborious research and unflagging zeal. His 
“Fische der Sudsee,” “Gigantic Land Tortoises,” 
his most useful “Introduction to the Study of 
Fishes,” his massive volumes on the “shore,” 
“deep-sea,” and “pelagic” fishes of the 
“Challenger,” and the “Report on the Batrachia 
of Central America,” have further to be taken 
into account. It may be truly said that no pre- 
decessor in his office did more continuous or more 
valuable work as a systematist than he. Besides, 
Dr. Giinther was the founder and first editor of 
the Zoological Record, now carried on by the 
Zoological Society; and for thirty years he was 
the chief editor of the Annals of Natural History. 
Yet another side of his wonderful energy and 
tenacity of purpose has to be recorded. The 
routine work in the British Museum is no light 
burden even for the robust, but Dr. Giinther’s 
term of office embraced a critical period, viz., after 
he became Keeper of the Zoological Department. 
Whilst to Sir Richard Owen belongs the honour 
of the scheme for a national natural history 
museum, to Dr. Giinther fell much of the work 
of designing the galleries and cases, and, more 
than all, of transferring the gigantic collections 
to their new home. The minute of.the trustees 
NO. 23II, VOL. 92] 
NATURE 
sportsman 
665 
attests how ably and how successfully he accom- 
plished this: difficult task. It is interesting that, 
even at this early period, Dr. Giinther was in 
| favour of metal cases, though these were not 
adopted—probably on ‘the score-of expense.’ His 
personal influence with naturalists, travellers, and 
owners of estates at home and abroad was of 
infinite importance throughout to the national 
collection, Further, he reorganised the duties of 
the trained attendants in the museum, and thus 
relieved the scientific staff, which was gradually 
increased. from’ four to’ thirteen scientific ‘men, 
whose names’ are those of authorities ‘in their 
several’ departments.’ To Dr. Giinther is also 
largely due (1) the formation of a general library 
—so valuable, especially to zoologists—and. (2) the 
designing of a separate spirit-room for the’ safety” 
of the vast collections in ‘jars, as well as for 
that of the institution itself. He retired from the 
office of keeper in 1895. 
Considered from the point of view of his study, 
Dr. Giinther was the foremost man of the day 
in his department; but he was also an accom- 
plished field naturalist, equally at home in park 
and covert, or by lake and river. In’ his 
earlier days he was remarkably agile and hardy, 
and used to say he gained as much knowledge of 
natural history in the field as in the closet. Nor 
was he less keen on board a boat or yacht at 
sea; indeed, he more than once was the only 
effective zoologist on deck, as, for instance, when 
the late distinguished Prof. Kélliker enlisted him 
on a dredging expedition off the southern coast. 
His tanks for the preservation of rare or inter- 
esting forms for the British Museum were always 
in evidence on such occasions, and he spared 
neither labour nor care in the pursuit of his fishes 
and other forms. His home, moreover, reflected 
the dominant tastes of the man.  Tree-frogs, 
chameleons, which fought for the best perch near 
the fire with tiny parrots, bird-cages indoors, and 
aviaries outside, the wonderful black and white 
gracle, the legacy of the late Lord Lilford, and 
other pets, made every visit memorable after 
his retirement from the museum; and the same 
may be said of the trees, shrubs, and flowers in his 
garden. 
Thus his busy life passed to his eighty-fourth 
year when grave abdominal symptoms necessitated 
an operation, which, at first apparently success- 
ful, terminated his distinguished career. He was 
buried in Richmond cemetery, in the midst of a 
circle of sympathetic scientific friends. 
Dr. Giinther was the recipient of many honours 
from learned societies in Europe and America, 
whilst at home he had filled the offices of vice- 
president of the Royal Society, president of the 
Biological Section of the British Association, and 
president of the Linnean Society. He received 
| 20 royal medal of the Royal Society, and the 
gold medal of the Linnean Society, as well as 
the medal of the Avicultural Society. 
He was twice married—his first wife, Roberta 
McIntosh, many of whose exquisite coloured 
drawings ‘have been published by the Ray Society, 
