47 [Vol. xxv. 



of the Genera and Species of Birds/ which was published by 

 the Trustees of the British Museum in five volumes. 



The second volume of the ' History of the Collections 

 contained in the Natural History Departments of the British 

 Museum ' appeared in 1906, and of this Dr. Sharpe wrote 

 the section " Birds " (pp. 79-515). This very valuable 

 contribution contains many interesting details respecting 

 those who have helped to form the great Collection of Birds 

 in the Natural History Museum and particulars concerning 

 them, which would otherwise have been lost and forgotten, 

 as many of the facts were based on his personal knowledge 

 of men long since dead and gone. 



With the death of Dr. Sharpe a link is lost between 

 the modern school of ornithologists and the little band 

 who originally founded the British Ornithologists' Union : 

 he had known them all, and his personal reminiscences, 

 extending over more than 40 years, were always interesting 

 and often most entertaining. His extraordinary memory, 

 which enabled him to name collections of birds off-hand 

 with tolerable accuracy, and, by merely glancing over them, 

 to state approximately where they came from, was truly 

 remarkable, especially before his health began to fail and 

 with it his extreme acumen. 



During the latter years of his life Dr. Sharpe, who had 

 always been a great admirer of Gilbert White, edited a 

 revised edition of the famous ' Natural History of Selborne/ 

 with numerous additions and many beautiful plates by 

 Keulemans, which was published by S. T. Freemantle, of 

 Piccadilly, in 1900. He paid many visits to the district of 

 Selborne and became so enamoured of the spot that he 

 purchased a small piece of ground in the neighbourhood and 

 there built himself a cottage in which he and his family 

 spent many happy days. 



Dr. Sharpe was no mere " Cabinet-naturalist," as many 

 might suppose, but knew the manners and customs of most 

 of our British Birds as well as anyone, being quite as keenly 

 interested in field-work as in the determination of Museum- 

 specimens. 



