30 THE OSPREY. 



PROFESSOR ALFRED NEWTON, F. R. S. 

 By Dr. R. AV. Shufeldt. 



At the present day there are in British Science many illustrious workers in 

 the field of ornithology, and not a few of these have through their numerous 

 published contributions to that ever fascinating subject become to be widely 

 known in America. Among these no one holds a more prominent place, or 

 has achieved a more far-reaching reputation, than Alfred Newton, Professor 

 of zoology and comparative anatomy at Magdalene College, Cambridge, 

 England. For a period extending over twenty years the writer has been so 

 fortunate as to have been in pretty steady correspondence with this distin- 

 guished contributor to general ornithology in England, and it has been largely 

 through his kind encouragement, able and just criticism, and friendly sugges- 

 tion, that 1 have been enabled to accomplish what I have in several of the 

 scientific fields wherein I have labored. When I have slipped, or, when from 

 an insufiicient knowledge of any particular matter about which I may have 

 been writing, 1 have been found wanting in the presentation of facts, and these 

 shortcomings have come under the eye of my generous friend, I was very sure 

 to hear from him, and have the flaws in my subject-matter straightened out 

 for me, and that with a candor and a generosity of spirit rarely found among 

 men of science, who, as a rule, are not always noted for their charity when 

 dealing with cases of this kind. 



Of all of Professor Newton's many writings, perhaps none have caused him 

 to be better known in this country than his ornithological contributions to the 

 last edition (9th) of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. The single article "Orni- 

 thology" thereto contributed is, of itself alone, one of the most classical and 

 profound productions ever published dealing with the science of birds. Had 

 this been his only work it would have gained him a reputation of the most en- 

 during character, but there is not a volume of the twenty-four royal quartos, 

 (not including the Index) which go to make up the set of the Encyclopedia 

 Britannica which does not contain a score or more of Newton's ornithological 

 articles, many of which are illustrated. When one comes to consider the 

 thousands of book shelves, public and private, upon which a set of this great 

 work occurs in the United States, it is not to be wondered at that Newton's 

 name is probably as well-known with us, as it is among English readers. 

 But there is more to be said on this point, for a few years ago, the author of 

 all this gathered into one fine octavo work these various articles of the Ency- 

 clopsedia and, through the publishing house, in London, of Adam and Charles 

 Black, brought them out as his now well-known book entitled A Dictionary 

 of Birds, which has earned for itself the place in chief in the libraries of 



