OBITUARY. 117 



Major Barrett-Hamilton. 



Gerald Edwin Hamilton Barrett-Hamilton, only surviving son 

 of the late Capt. Samuel Barrett, who, in 1887, assumed the additional 

 name of Hamilton ; of Kilmanock House, Campile, Co. Wexford, was 

 born 1871 ; educated at Harrow and at Trinity College, Cambridge, 

 where he graduated B.x\. in 1894, taking a First Class in the Natural 

 Science Tripos, in the same list with his friend Dr. Edward Adrian 

 Wilson, who was afterwards to become the artist to Barrett-Hamilton's 

 great book on the British Mammals. Called to the Bar at the Inner 

 Temple, 1896 ; in May of that year, with Professor D'Arcy W. 

 Thompson (now C.B.), he visited the Eur-Seal Islands of the North 

 Pacific on behalf of the Foreign and Colonial Offices, with a view to 

 the investigation of the Natural History of the Northern Fur Seal, 

 " with special reference to certain disputed points which have a 

 distinct bearing on the industry connected with the skins of the 

 animal." * While the Professor proceeded direct to the Pribiloff 

 Islands, Barrett-Hamilton had instructions to visit the Commander 

 Islands (near the coast of Kamchatka). Later they proceeded 

 together to S. Paul Island, the largest of the Pribiloff group, return- 

 inn home at the beginning of the next year. Barrett-Hamilton had 

 formed a collection of small mammals, together with specimens of 

 the Northern Fur Seal, a series of skulls of Steller's Sea-Lion, and 

 a skin which was mounted for the National Collection at Crom- 

 well Boad. There were also fair collections of birds, fishes, and 

 invertebrates. 



He served in the S. African war, 1901-2, in the latter year being 

 gazetted an Hon. Captain in the army. In 1903 he married Maude 

 Charlotte, only daughter of F. S. Eland, Esq., of Bavenshill, Trans- 

 vaal, who survives him, together with six young children. Served as 

 High Sheriff for Wexford, 1904. In 1905 he was promoted Major 

 of the 5th (Militia) Battalion (Special Beserve) Boyal Irish Bines ; 

 elected F.Z.S. and M.B.I.A. 



Between 1898 and 1904 he gave numerous lectures in all parts 

 of the United Kingdom on different subjects connected with the 

 mission, including papers before the British Association in 1898 and 

 1899. 



His report on the Behring Sea Mission was so well received that 

 he gained special recognition from the Government ; and later was 

 asked to report on the collection of mammals made during the 



* ' Proc. Zool. Soc.,' 1897, p. 190. 



