194 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



As an ornithologist, Mr. Gurney was a recognised authority, 

 both in Europe and America, more especially on Raptorial birds, 

 and the magnificent collection in the Norfolk and Norwich 

 Museum owes its existence almost entirely to his energy and 

 liberality. We believe we are correct in saying that at a time 

 not long since the collection of Raptorial birds in the Norwich 

 Museum was unequalled, not excepting that of the British 

 Museum, and even now there are many type specimens and some 

 rarities which are not to be found in the national collection, 

 as well as a larger series of several of the species from various 

 localities. To these, by means of collectors abroad, and by his 

 personal influence with other ornithologists, it was Mr. Gurney 's 

 constant study to make additions, and the annual reports of the 

 Museum show that, although of late years such additions, owing 

 to the completeness of the collection, were more and more 

 difficult to obtain, scarcely a year passed without his energy being 

 rewarded with some new species. Mr. Gurney was not only 

 a collector, but was from his youth a keen observer of birds, 

 and a naturalist in the truest sense of the word. At one period 

 of his life he carefully studied the Mollusca of the county, 

 and subsequently, during frequent visits to the coast, added 

 largely to the knowledge of the fishes of Norfolk— a subject at 

 that time much neglected, and the Museum contains many 

 interesting specimens contributed by him. His connection with 

 the Museum commenced at a very early age, and an entry in 

 the presentation book of that society shows that on the 25th 

 November, 1828, "Master J. H. Gurney'' was the donor of a 

 female Sparrowhawk and a Ring Dove. From that time to the 

 end of his life, Mr. Gurney was a constant contributor to its 

 collections in all departments, and it is probable that nineteen- 

 twentieths of the birds of prey there bear the name of J. H. 

 Gurney as their donor. In this institution Mr. Gurney was 

 associated with Bishop Stanley, the Rev. W. Kirby, Professor 

 Sedgwick, Richard Lubbock, Dawson Turner, and others. In 

 1849 he was chosen its President in succession to the Hon. and 

 Very Rev. Dean Pellew, and in 1869 was elected permanent 

 President. In November, 1801, his portrait, by Sir Francis 

 Grant, was placed in the British Bird Room at the Museum, 

 in recognition of his great services. In 1852 he delivered 

 a course of lectures on Ornithology, in St. Andrew's Hall, which 



