OBITUARY NOTICE. 



SOLOMON I. DACOSTA. 



By JAMES COSMO MELVILL, M.A. 



(Read before the Society, Jan. 8th, 1908). 



The year 1907 deprived the science in which we are all interested 

 of several well-known and honoured workers, notably M. Cesare 

 Felix Ancey, Captain F. Wollaston Hutton, F.R.S., and Sir James 

 Hector, F.R.S., both of New Zealand, Dr. W. T. Blanford, F.R.S., and 

 lastly, we, with many regrets, must now include Mr. Solomon Israel 

 (Frederick) DaCosta, who passed away at his residence, 9, Gloucester 

 Square, Hyde Park, W., in June last, at the age of eighty-two years. 



Mr. DaCosta was long and honourably connected with Lloyds', 

 being for several years latterly deputy-chairman, and had not, we 

 believe, turned his attention to the MoUusca till comparatively late in 

 life. When, however, he did begin, he showed a zeal almost un- 

 paralleled, and at first collected in all orders. Latterly, determining 

 to specialize, he parted with all his marine shells excepting the genera 

 Pecten and Mitra, mainly concentrating his attention on the land 

 molluscs of the South American continent. Collectors were despatched 

 to little-known parts of Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia, whence the late 

 Mr. Buckley in 1871-72 had brought so many new and startling forms; 

 Chili, Brazil, and other territories were ransacked, the result being 

 that for beauty of variety, perfection of condition, and elegance of 

 arrangement, his cabinets were almost unrivalled in the genera 

 Biiliniulus, Strophochilus, Porphyrobaphe^ etc. 



I have had the privilege, under his guidance, of inspecting these 

 beautiful series, and found it difficult to give preference to any 

 particular group, where all were in such fine condition. 



The Philippine Islands species, and those from the Solomon 

 Islands were also particularly richly represented. 



As an author, Mr. DaCosta was mainly known by his various 

 descriptive papers in the pages of the Proceedings of the Malaco- 

 logical Society of London, commencing in 1898. Altogether, about 

 one hundred species were named and described by him, mainly of 

 the genera Bulimuhis^ Drymteus, Neocyclotus, Aiiip/iicycloius, etc. 

 Many of these are almost, if not quite, unique, and the types, happily, 

 have all been placed in the British Museum (Natural History). 



On Tuesday, 21st October, 1907, Mr. DaCosta's collection was 

 sold at Stevens' Auction Rooms, and attracted more interest amongst 



