xviu Presidenfs Address. 



the Eoyal Society in 1877, and Chancellor of the University of the 

 Capo of Good Hope in 1881. 



The Society will share the sincere regret of the Council and myself 

 at the loss we have sustained in the death of our colleague, Herbert 

 William Oakley, which occurred suddenly on the 14th November last. 

 Born at Taunton, in Somersetshire, in 1848, he early in life showed a 

 strong taste for Natural History, and gained much knowledge of the 

 fauna of his native country. At the age of 22 he became assistant to 

 Professor Boyd Dawkins, in the Museum of the Owens College at 

 Manchester. He retained this situation until 1877, gaining the esteem 

 and approval both of his immediate chief and of Dr. Greenwood, the 

 Principal of the College. In 1877, his desire for experiencing some- 

 thing of the zoological and sporting facilities which South Africa 

 affords led to his joining the Cape Mounted Police. Unfavourable as 

 were the conditions of his life as a trooper in that force, he neverthe- 

 less managed to make some very interesting notes on the fauna of the 

 Transkei Territory, and to form a good collection of the birds of that 

 district. At the storming of Moirosi's mountain in Basutoland Mr. 

 Oakley greatly distinguished himself, and received most honourable 

 mention in the despatches relating to the affair. It was through our 

 first President, the late Sir B. Frere, then Governor of the Colony, 

 that Mr. Oakley was enabled to obtain employment more suited to his 

 training and abilities, and was appointed by the trustees, in 1879, my 

 assistant in the South-African Museum. He held this post until the 

 date of his decease — a period o£ over five years. His knowledge of 

 geology, special acquaintance with the vertebrate skeleton, and manual 

 skill in the preparation of osteological specimens, were of great 

 value to the Museum ; and his zeal and activity as a collector resulted 

 in very numerous additions of specimens in all classes, but especially 

 in that of birds. In addition to frequent exhibitions of specimens at 

 our meetings, Mr. Oakley contributed several papers to our Transactions, 

 of which the following were published, viz. : ''On the Habits of some 

 of the birds of the Transkei;" " On the Skeleton of the African 

 Darter or Snake-bird {Plotus Levaillantii) ; " " On the Anatomy and 

 Habits of South African Snakes;" "On Peripatus Capensis)''^ and, 

 lastly, " On the Snake called the Mamha of Natal." He was elected 

 a member of the Council in July, 1884. In character most modest and 

 retiring, Herbert Oakley's natural ability was rather hidden by his 

 habitual reserve and shyness of manner ; but his many good qualities 

 of mind and heart were cordially I'ecognised by those who knew him 

 with any intimacy, and his untimely death has been the loss to us of a 

 most kindly, amiable companion, as well as of an intelligent, helpful 

 colleague. 



Dr. Benjamin F. Bradshaw was not on our roll of members, but he 

 took great interest in our work, and in 1880 contributed a paper to 

 our Transactions on the "Tsetse Fly," based on his personal observa- 

 tions during six yc^ars travel in the interior. He was an enthusiastic 

 naturalist, and made large collections of zoological specimens, especially 

 of birds and inse(;ts. His bird-skins were remarkable for their excel- 

 lent preservation, and he had recorded most careful and interesting 

 ornithological notes, of wliich the greater part have fortunately been 

 utilised by Mr. P. B. Sharpe in his recently published edition of 

 Layard's " Birds of South Africa." Dr. Bradshaw was a liberal 

 donor to the South-African Museum, and left to it the only example 



