96 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



that the Galapagos, like the Antilles, were formed by subsidence and not by 

 upheaval, and that they were at one time connected with Central America 

 through Cocos Island. This contention Dr. Baur attempted to prove by 

 showing that each separate island has its own peculiar and harmonious 

 fauna and flora — a condition which could hardly exist if the archipelago were 

 of volcanic origin, and had acquired its plants and animals through acci- 

 dental importation by means of currents from the mainland." 



Alfred Hart Everett, whose name as a naturalist and collector is so 

 connected with the Malayan region, died last June from fever, combined 

 with dropsy, contracted during his last voyages. An obituary notice has 

 just appeared in ' Novitates Zoologicae ' (vol. v. p. 606), from which we 

 extract the following particulars: — Mr. Everett "was born in 1848, on 

 Norfolk Island, where his father held the post of medical officer ; but in 

 1853 his family settled in England, where he was educated. He began to 

 show a strong taste for natural history at an early age, and it was not long 

 before he conceived the idea of becoming an explorer. With this in view 

 he entered the service of the Rajah Brooke of Sarawak. His work on 

 Borneo in nearly all branches of zoology is too well known to require 

 description. From there he made his successful expeditions to the Philip- 

 pines, and to Palawan and Balabac, collecting chiefly birds for the late 

 Marquis of Tweeddale. Being aware of Mr. Everett's abilities as a 

 collector, the Editors of ' Novitates Zoologicae ' felt great satisfaction when, 

 during his stay in England in 1894, he offered his services to Mr. Roth- 

 schild, and they heartily regret that they are now terminated by his death. 

 Besides collecting birds and insects for the Tring museum, he did much 

 in other branches of natural history during his last voyages. There never 

 was a more ardent zoologist than Mr. Everett, and when on the sick-bed a 

 few days before his death he talked of nothing but birds and mammals, 

 and of zoo-geographical problems and future trips to unexplored islands 

 as soon as he should be strong again." 



On the afternoon of January 23rd, a large Porpoise was to be seen 

 swimming in the Thames off Blackfriars Bridge, which was watched by 

 hundreds of persons. — Daily Chronicle. 



" Taxidermist." — Who is responsible for the invention of this vile 

 phrase? It is not in Johnson's 'Dictionary.' I suppose we get it from 

 the French. It would have been easy to suggest a more regular formation, 

 such as " taxidermatist," or more correctly " dermatotaxist," or even " der- 

 mataxist." But scientific people are above such matters, and seem to con- 

 temn them. — Julian Marshall (Notes and Queries, Jan. 14th). 



