to4 



OBITUARY NOTICE OF PHILIP BROOKES MASON. 



By The Rev. CHAS. F. THORNEWILL. 



(Read before the Society, September 14, 1904). 



Philip Brookes Mason was bom at Burton-on-Trent, on Jan. 2nd, 

 1842, and derived his second name from his mother, who survived 

 him by a few months. He was educated at Burton Grammar School, 

 and afterwards at Epsom College, and after a distinguished career at 

 University College, London, returned to Burton to take up his 

 father's practice as a surgeon, which he gradually extended and 

 developed, until he became one of the most popular doctors in the 

 midland counties. But he was even better known as a naturalist of 

 no mean order — shells, birds, insects of all descriptions — nothing 

 came amiss to him, and his collections increased year by year, until 

 at length it became necessary to adapt some buildings in the rear 

 of his house, in order to provide a museum for their accommodation. 

 His acquaintance with almost every branch of natural history was 

 remarkable, and his collections were always readily thrown open for 

 the inspection of naturalists, many of whom owe much to his kind- 

 ness and hospitality. 



He was President of the Conchological Society in 1893, was 

 elected a Fellow of the Linnean Society in 1872, and of the Ento- 

 mological Society in 1874; in 1884 he became a Member of the 

 Societe Entomologique de France, and for the last ten years of his 

 life he was a member of the Entomological Club. 



Mr. Mason's numerous professional engagements of course hindered 

 him from doing much in the way of field work ; but he took a keen 

 interest in all that was going on in the natural history world, and 

 when the opportunity was given him he displayed all the ardour and 

 faculty of observation which distinguish the born naturalist. The 

 present writer well remembers a delightful excursion which he took, 

 in company with Mr. Mason and his friend. Dr. Garneys of Repton, 

 to the west coast of Scotland and Skye during the summer of 1873. 

 Each member of the party collected something, Mr. Mason's share 

 being the plants, in which some noteworthy 'finds' were made; and 

 at the conclusion of the trip, which lasted for three weeks, the three 

 collectors met in succession at each other's houses to divide the spoils 

 and 'fight their battles o'er again,' amid the fumes of much tobacco. 

 It was a memorable trip, and many a laugh have the three partici- 

 pators enjoyed over it before two passed over to 'the majority.' Mr. 

 Mason took a prominent part in the foundation of the Burton-on- 



