240 Obituary — Richard Lydekker. 



in the laborious task of preparing the part of the Zoological Record 

 relating to the Mammalia from the year 1887 on is of the greatest 

 value to workers on that group, and enabled him to acquire an 

 unrivalled knowledge of the literature referring to it. 



His contributions to the Geological Magazine exceed seventy 

 in number (1883-1901), whilst his papers to the Geological and 

 Zoological Societies, to the Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 

 and to other publications were equally numerous; but latterly, as 

 he himself said, in 1902 l : " I have lately been led to transfer my 

 time and attention more and more to recent animals and to geographical 

 distribution ; and much of it has been given also to popular or semi- 

 popular writing, rather than to strictly scientific work." 



Nevertheless, Lydekker's latter publications have been of a highly 

 interesting and instructive character, as for example his work on The 

 Deer of All Lands ; Wild Oxen, Sheep, and Goats of All Lands ; The 

 Great and Small Game of India, Burma, and Tibet ; The Great and 

 Small Game of Europe, North and West Asia, and America; three 

 volumes of Allen's Naturalists' Library, mostly Mammals ; Horns 

 and Hoofs ; The Game Animals of Africa ; The Sportsman's British 

 Birds ; A Trip to Pilaioin. Mr. Lydekker is also the author of the 

 part of the Royal Natural History which relates to the Yertebrata, 

 a work well illustrated, not a mere compilation, but full of original 

 matter of great value, largely drawn from the author's own knowledge. 



The last important work in which Lydekker was engaged was 

 a Catalogue of the Ungulate Mammals in the British Museum. Of this 

 three volumes have appeared, in the two last of which the author was 

 assisted by Mr. Gilbert Blaine: the completion of the fourth volume 

 occupied the last days of his life, and he succeeded in leaving it ready 

 for the press. 



The rapidity with which he worked did not always allow 

 Lydekker to do himself full justice, but, when the vast mass of 

 his output is considered, it will be recognized that he has done far 

 more to advance the knowledge of the living and extinct Vertebrates 

 than is usually accomplished by those whose energies are crippled by 

 the fear of making mistake. No man was ever more ready to place 

 his knowledge at the disposal of others, and many of the younger 

 generation of workers in his field will gratefully remember his help. 



In 1883 Mr. Lydekker joined the Geological Society, and was 

 a member of Council for some sixteen years and served as a Yice- 

 President. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1894. 

 He received the award of the YVollaston Fund from the Geological 

 Society in 1891, and the Lyell Medal in 1902. 



He leaves two sons, Lieut. Gerard 0. Lydekker and Lieut. Cyril R. 

 Lydekker, and three daughters. 



In addition to the members of his family many scientific men 

 attended the funeral, which took place at Harpenden on April 20. 

 Mr. C. E. Fagan,' Dr. S. F. Harmer, Mr. Ogilvie Grant, Mr. J. G. 

 Dollman, Mr. W. P. Pycraft, Dr. C. W. Andrews, Mr. H. Jenkins, 

 Mr. W. G. Chubb, represented the British Museum (Natural 

 History) ; Mr. Hugh Barclay, the Norwich Museum ; and a large and 

 representative body of Naturalists and friends. 



1 Anniversary Geol. Soc. Lond., February 21, 1902. 



