156 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



in the county, particularly to those of the rarer birds requiring special 

 protection during nesting. Already one Nature Eeserve has been 

 established in affiliation with the Association, namely, on Kingmoor 

 Common and adjacent wood, near Carlisle, where nesting-boxes have 

 been fixed and drinking ponds prepared. A list of the fauna and 

 flora of the Eeserve is to be prepared this year, and it will be inter- 

 esting to see what beneficial effect the protection has. At one time 

 this common was a favourite breeding ground for the small summer 

 visitors, and also one of the richest grounds in the county for the 

 botanist, but of late years, through having been let for cattle-grazing, 

 it has become very much depleted. An appeal is made to all 

 interested in the preservation of our native fauna, some of which, like 

 the Peregrine Falcon, Buzzard, and Eaven, are the special objects of 

 the egg-collectors' greed, and it is hoped sufficient funds will be raised 

 for this purpose. The Association will be glad to receive subscrip- 

 tions from any of your readers who are interested in the preservation 

 of these birds, and subscribers can, if they wish, have their subscrip- 

 tions ear-marked for this purpose. — D. Losh Thorpe, M.B.O.U. 

 (Loshville, Carlisle). 



OBITUAB?. 



Sie John Mueeay. 



Sib John Mueeay, whose sudden death owing to a motor acci- 

 dent took place on March 16th, will always be remembered as a 

 great contributor to the science of Oceanography. He was born at 

 Coburg, in the province of Ontario, in 1841, and when sixteen years 

 old came to Scotland, and, after a short period spent in the Stirling 

 High School, entered the University of Edinburgh. Here he studied 

 enthusiastically and successfully, but his independent spirit declined 

 to be bound by a systematic curriculum, and he never took a degree. 

 It was, however, his work in Professor Tait's laboratory which led 

 to him being appointed on the scientific staff of H.M.S. ' Challenger,' 

 when in 1872 she started on her memorable cruise round the world. 

 From that time the success of the expedition became his main object 

 in life. He voluntarily undertook the registration, packing and 

 despatch of the enormous collections sent home from the various 

 ports visited by the expedition. These were all consigned to the 

 University of Edinburgh and, except for the purpose of replacing 



