10 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



" Cinnyris olivaceus and perrauxi split open the flowers of 

 Loranthus kraussianus, and cause their fertilisation. Bees follow 

 in their wake to obtain their nectar" (M. S.Evans, 'Nature,' 

 Jan. 3rd, 1895). While examples of this kind can be multiplied, 

 there are no recorded instances, so far as I know, of birds visiting 

 the flowers which they have themselves torn for the purpose of 

 capturing insects. It is especially noteworthy that the three 

 plants which are thus dealt with in the Canary Islands are all 

 exotics, and that no native plants are treated in the same manner. 

 Thus Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is a native of China, Abutilon of 

 S. America, and Aloe vulgaris of the West Indies. There is thus 

 every reason for believing the habit to be an acquired one. 



(3.) I may note that Bombus goes directly to the flower of 

 Hibiscus, and though the openings are made in the calyx it never 

 visits these ; while in this country it even makes openings in the 

 calyx of the Fuchsia in preference to visiting the flower. 



(4.) So far as I could observe, the punctures were made only by 

 the male Blackcap, and never by the female. Further observation 

 may, however, disprove this. 



MEMOIR of the LATE HENRY SEEBOHM, F.L.S., F.Z.S., 

 Secretary to the Royal Geographical Society. 



Just as our last number was going to press we received the 

 sad and unexpected intelligence of the death of this distinguished 

 ornithologist, who passed away on November 26th, at his residence 

 in London, at the comparatively early age of sixty-three. His 

 loss will be deplored by a wide circle of friends, amongst whom 

 may be reckoned very many readers of this Journal, to say nothing 

 of those to whom he was known only by his published works as 

 a leading authority in his special department of zoology. 



Few names indeed are better known than his in connection 

 with Birds, not only of the British Islands, but, it may be said, 

 of the world. As a traveller and collector in four continents he 

 had made a special study of bird-life in all the countries he 

 visited, and few naturalists probably have seen and studied a 

 larger number of species in their proper haunts, or made better 

 use of opportunities for observing them. We need only turn to 



