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OBITUARIES. 



George Brettingham Sowerby, F.L.S. Third of the Name. 



1843-1921. 

 An original member of this Society and a stalwart representative 

 of the noted family of naturalist-illustrators, Gr. B. Sowerby, third 

 of the name, was born 18th September, 1843, being the eldest son 

 of George Brettingham Sowerby, second of the name. 



After the usual preliminary education, and when but seventeen 

 or eighteen years of age, he joined his father in business 

 as a conchologist at their house in Great Eussell Street, 

 London, W.C. Some three years after his father's death 

 in 1884, the business was removed to Fulham Eoad, London, 

 S.W., and twelve years later to Kew, whilst from 1897 he 

 was joined in partnership by Mr. H. C. Fulton, Sowerby finally 

 retiring from the business in January, 1916. He retained his 

 interest in conchology, however, to the end, and at the time of his 

 death on the 31st January, 1921, his last paper was passing through 

 the press for our Proceedings. 



His earliest work was one of collaboration with his father on the 

 well-known " Thesaurus Conchyliorum ", and he was responsible 

 for its completion, for he wrote the " Appendix (second supplement) 

 to Monograph of the genus Conus", finished the monographs on 

 Valuta and Melo, and was sole author of that on the genus Turbo. 

 He also published a second edition of his father's "Illustrated 

 Index of British Shells " in 1887, and a work on the " Marine Shells 

 of South Africa " in 1892. 



Some ninety-five papers, almost entirely on systematic lines, 

 were contributed by him to various societies' publications and 

 scientific journals. Of these forty-eight appeared in our own 

 Proceedings, the more important being " Notes on the Family 

 Ampullariidae " (in Vols. VIII, IX, and XII) and "Notes on 

 Magilus " (in Vol. XIII). To most of these he furnished his own 

 illustrations. 



Sowerby was elected a Fellow of the Linnean Society in 1888, 

 but seems to have retired in 1920. He joined the Conchological 

 Society of Great Britain in 1886, and served as one of its vice- 

 presidents in 1889. Joining this Society on its foundation in 1893, he 

 served on the Council from that date till 1898, and again during 

 1918 and 1919. 



He had married in June, 1867, Miss Eose Wilkie, who with their 

 son and two daughters survive him. The son, now in Australia, 

 carries on the patronymic as " Fourth of the name ", and there is 

 yet a " Fifth of the name " to perpetuate the tradition. 



A man of genial and generous nature, as well as of strong character, 

 Sowerby was also something of an athlete, for until late years he was 



