480 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



l^cT^ 



and have in several instances penetrated into the town. I captured 

 a number of these and sent them to Dr. G. Nuttall, of Cambridge, 

 who has kindly identified them as Culex-annulatus. The bite is very 

 severe. — W. J. Clarke (44, Huntriss Kow, Scarborough). 



BIOGEAPHY. 



The Water Chanter of Turner. — Wilham Turner, the first British 

 naturalist of mark, was an accomplished physician as well as a member 

 of Parliament. His residence at Wells enabled him to study the effects 

 of the waters of Bath, and even to stay with patients in the latter city. 

 He counselled close attention to diet, and advocated the use of Khine 

 wines. He approved of his Bath patients dining on small birds in 

 general; "but Watev chanters ye must not eat." Was the Water 

 chanter identical with Cimius aquaticm ? He speaks of the latter bird 

 as a "Water Swallow"; but perhaps he had heard both names 

 employed to denote the same species. I should like to qualify my 

 statement [mpra, p. 379) that Turner "died a disappointed man." 

 That the bitter disappointments which he experienced in middle life 

 may have served to embitter his last years is not unlikely. He had 

 returned home on the accession of Edward VI., after spending the best 

 years of his life upon the Continent, with the full expectation that his 

 talents would be recognized, and a high place assigned to him. But 

 though he humbled himself to beg for preferment, he had some time 

 to wait before he could secvire the Deanery of Wells. Though he was 

 obliged to accept it for family reasons, it brought him fresh worry. 

 His predecessor was unwilling to give up his Deanery, and received 

 the sympathy of the canons of the cathedral, who did not relish having 

 a stranger thrust in upon them. Turner was once nominated for the 

 Provostship of Oriel College, Oxford, as well as for the Presidency of 

 Magdalen. Had he received the former appointment, Oriel would have 

 been able to claim among the members of the college three illustrious 

 naturalists — Turner, Thomas Pennant, and Gilbert White. — H. A. 

 Macpheeson (The Rectory, Pitlochry). 



[A melancholy interest attaches to the above note, which was 

 dated the 23rd November, an^ its writer passed away on the 26th — 

 three days subsequently. "What shadows we are, and what shadows 

 we become." In a letter received with this note, Mr. Macpherson 

 discussed a future paper he was intending to write for ' The Zoologist.' 

 We hope to give a full obituary notice of our old and much respected 

 contributor in the next issue of the ' Zoologist.' — Ed.] 



