116 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



surroundings, which have proved of such interest to the general 

 public. 



Mainly through Dr. Giinther's recommendation the National 

 Museum is indebted for the possession of many valuable collections 

 of the greatest scientific interest. Among these may be mentioned 

 the following : — The Gould collection of Birds, Baly collection of 

 Phytophaga, Bates collection of Heteromera, Zeller Lepidoptera, the 

 Keyserling Arachnida, Frey Lepidoptera, the Moore Indian Lepi- 

 doptera, the Atkinson Coleoptera and Ehynchota, the Saville-Kent 

 Corals, Parker Foraminifera, Pascoe Coleoptera, Morelet Land and 

 Freshwater Shells, Captain Shelley's African Birds, Godwin-Austen's 

 Indian Birds, the Oates collection of Birds of Pegu, the Sclater 

 collection of Birds, the Grote North American Lepidoptera, and 

 many other minor collections. 



Many most important additions to the Museum collections were 

 acquired by presentation during the same period, and in some cases 

 it was doubtless owing to Dr. Giinther's tact and urbanity that these 

 donations were received. 



Many honours were conferred upon him by various societies 

 both at home and abroad. He was elected Fellow of the Eoyal, 

 Linnean, and Zoological Societies, and filled the offices of Vice- 

 President of the Eoyal Society (1875-76), and President of the 

 Linnean Society (1898-1901). He was recipient of the Eoyal Society's 

 gold medal in 1878, and also that of the Linnean Society in 1904. 

 In 1880 he was President of the Biological Section of the British 

 Association. 



On the authority of one eminently qualified to express an opinion 

 on the zoological work accomplished by Dr. Gunther, it can be 

 stated without fear of contradiction that he was the foremost 

 ichthyologist of his day, and his magnum opus, the ' Catalogue of 

 Fishes,' has never been replaced by any similar comprehensive work. 

 His writings on the Eeptilia were also on the same high level. 



Dr. Gunther was a man with a strong personality, but with all 

 his firmness of disposition he ever maintained a friendly relationship 

 with those associated with him in the work of the Museum, and 

 when freed from that official relationship he at once became the most 

 pleasant of personal friends, of whom he had a very wide circle. 



He was twice married, and leaves a widow and two sons to mourn 

 his loss. His death took place this year on February 1st in his 

 home at Kew, and he was buried at Eichmond in the presence of 

 those he loved and many sorrowing and devoted friends. 



E. A. Smith. 



